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Learning about the Holocaust at Vic High: Reading and Workshop by Dr. Charlotte Schallié

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On October 2 & 3, SCVN Co-Director Dr. Charlotte Schallié visited a ninth/tenth creative writing class at Victoria High School (Vic High). The students, guided by their creative writing teacher, Georgina Hope, participated in an interactive lesson that brought the testimonies from ‘But I Live: Three Stories of Child Survivors of the Holocaust’ into the classroom. Through discussion of the book, Charlotte introduced the students to the ways that graphic novels can support learning by creating an emotional connection to the material.

Students at Vic High participating in a graphic narrative exercise. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

‘But I Live’ brings together three graphic narratives that share the personal life journeys of Holocaust child survivors. These stories provide young readers with accessible and emotional insights into historical events, illuminating what it meant to survive the Holocaust as a child. By connecting with individual experiences, students were encouraged to see beyond facts and figures and understand history on a personal level.

This visit also incorporated a lesson plan from the educator’s resource created by Dr. Andrea Webb. This resource package is designed to support teachers in engaging a difficult topic such as the Holocaust, using graphic narratives as an entry point to explore context, events, and the consequences of historical trauma. This approach doesn’t simply inform—it empowers students and teachers to reflect on history and develop critical skills, such as empathy and historical awareness, which remain relevant to current societal challenges.

Some of the students later shared what they learned in their own words.

I think reading the book opened my eyes and I really felt the emotion of the book. The book was definitely a great read and I’m sure it broadened my understanding. The drawings were so well done, and the mute colours really make you feel the emotion in the book. I feel what Charlotte was talking about with the graphic novels is true. We definitely should be reading more graphic novels in high schools, because they’re easy to read, but get the point across right. I don’t feel graphic novels should be seen as childish most of the time because they carry deeper stories with good morals.  

A person named Charlotte Schallié came to my class, she is a professor at UVic, and an author. She talked about how graphic novels are just as valuable as normal books. I would agree with this, I think that the pictures help portray a better story than words do. She also showed us some stuff on the holocaust. It was a graphic novel, and more specifically the process of making it. They talked to multiple holocaust survivors and had them tell their stories, in their own words and only what they wanted to say. I thought that was cool, because it seems more respectful to the holocaust survivor. 

I have learned that the Holocaust has killed 6 million Jews. The injustices before, during, and after the Holocaust are innumerable. It’s sad to see such hate grow for so long and so intensely. I’ve had fun with the graphic novel project, and I enjoyed the Survivors theatre production. It’s awesome to see the Holocaust explained in a compelling way, in a way that encourages readers and viewers to be in the experiences of those we read about or watch. 

I have never learned about the Holocaust until this project. I found it fascinating but also so emotional to learn about. I can’t imagine what it would have been like in that time. When Charlotte Schallié came into the classroom and told us more facts and stories about the Holocaust it was fascinating. My favourite part about this project though, was the play. I enjoyed watching the good acting, and it was a more fun way to learn about this devastating event in history.  People need to know. I think that this should be learned about in class more and it was a good way to learn about it through graphic novels. The Anne Frank graphic novel, I found personally, is really hard to read, but it was good all the same. 

The students participated actively, exploring graphic narratives as a storytelling medium and recognizing the power of personal narrative within historical contexts. Charlotte’s visit demonstrated how art and personal testimony can bridge generations, creating a meaningful connection to the past. Thank you to Georgina and class for your engagement with ‘But I Live.’ Experiences such as this class visit emphasize the potential wide-ranging impact of the graphic novels created by the SCVN project.

Archives of Memory: Research Incubator and Comic Drawing Workshop at the Zurich University of the Arts

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From July 4-6, our project partners at the Institute for the Performing Arts and Film at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) hosted an interdisciplinary arts-based research incubator for scholars, artists, storytellers and educators who joined us from Canada, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Israel and  Cameroon. This interdisciplinary exchange included graphic artists from the Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives (SCVN) Project, who were invited to share insights from their ongoing collaborative memory work with survivors of genocide. 

Participant sketching. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

Day 1 began with a presentation by SCVN co-director Dr. Charlotte Schallié titled ‘Developing an Ethics of Care Framework in Arts-based Research with Genocide Survivors.’ Following this, a comic drawing workshop, co-facilitated by graphic novelist Barbara Yelin and Charlotte Schallié, guided participants through weaving their artistic practice with visual storytelling and historical research. Throughout the day, participants drew, collaborated, and discussed the role of memory, dialogue, responsibility, and reciprocity in artistic practice and research. Many questions emerged. For example, how can drawing as a research practice and creative tool of scientific inquiry encourage new ways of retelling histories and life narratives? What stories surface when drawings and text elements enter a space of dialogue? How can we envision the empty space in-between panels as sites of fragmented or disjointed memory?  

Sketches from Zurich workshops. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

On Day 2, workshop participants gained insights into the practices, approaches, and questions emerging from the SCVN project. An urban drawing session—led by Miriam Libicki—and a reading by Barbara Yelin from her book ‘Emmie Arbel. The Colour of Memory’ brought forward ways to incorporate arts-based research methods into scholarship, teaching, creative practice, and community-based care work. 

Barbara Yelin and Gilad Seliktar. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

“What stories surface when drawings and text elements enter a space of dialogue? How can we envision the empty space in-between panels as sites of fragmented or disjointed memory?”  

Day 3 held space for SCVN graphic artists to discuss how team members can continue to facilitate a community of mutual care and support across all five project-based research clusters. It served as a platform to address unresolved questions. Given the collaborative nature of the working relationships and the diverse realities and circumstances of the internationally based artists, it was invaluable to meet in person and develop a dialogue around the archiving of memory.

Participants at Zurich workshop. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

A key insight from the conference and workshop was the recognition that action of gathering in a designated space for mutual learning is crucial and should be institutionalized on an annual basis. This approach is essential for fostering a dialogic relationship and establishing a solid foundation for the Community of Care needed by the SCVN project. The questions posed to the artists on the third day, such as “What does a Community of Care mean to you?” and “What resources or support do you need to continue contributing to the project?” were systematically recorded and documented. Notably, it emerged that listening and allowing space for expression are inevitable components of research projects engaging genocide and mass atrocities. Based on the responses and the comprehensive documentation from the three days, the SCVN research project can refine and optimize the design and structure of future meetings to enhance the collaborative experience. 

We would like to thank to all participants who joined us to share a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and creative approaches to engage with histories and life narratives.

2024 AGM at the University of British Columbia: Centring Indigenous and Arts-Based Approaches to Testimony

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From June 18-20, our project partners from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Turtle Island Research Cluster hosted a three-day annual general meeting around the theme of Landed Learning. Artists and team leadership from Canada, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States, gathered with us on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. At a pre-meeting event hosted by the German Consulate, artist Tobi Dahmen presented his recent publication, Columbusstrasse, to an engaged and enthusiastic audience. Artist Anneli Furmark spoke to students in the UBC Nordic Studies program about her work with comics and graphic novels. 

Anneli Furmark presenting to UBC students. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.

On Day 1 of the AGM, participants joined Dr. Eduardo Jovel for a presentation on Landed Learning at the xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden in the UBC Farm. With an emphasis on teaching, learning, and research, xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden serves educational and research needs related to Indigenous knowledge and its intersections with other ways of knowing; our group learned about land as teacher and food as medicine. In the afternoon, Dr. Shannon Leddy guided participants through an art-making workshop, reflecting on visual storytelling and land-based approaches to learning. SCVN data director, Dr. Matt Huculak also gave a presentation on archiving arts-based research to the project artists.

xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden. Image credit Raey Costain.
xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden. Image credit Raey Costain.
Sketch at xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden. Image credit Miriam Libicki.
Art making workshop with Andrea Webb (left) and Shannon Leddy (right), June 19, 2024. Image credit Charlotte Schallié.
Participants exploring the interactive database at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. Image credit Raey Costain.

On Day 2, participants gained insights into the practices and approaches of Indigenizing testimony collection and Indigenous data sovereignty with a presentation from Kristin Kozar, director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre. Following this, Duncan McCue facilitated a reflection on traumatic testimony and survivor-centred engagement, providing the opportunity for project members to share their experiences and learn from one another. 

Though not a scheduled activity, the artists and scholars who gathered for the AGM took frequent opportunities to spend time on the beautiful beaches and walkways that surround UBC.

Project members gathered on the beach. Image credit Matt Huculak.

We would like to express our deep gratitude to all participants for their willingness to experience land-based approaches and share their diverse perspectives as they continue to work with survivors in creating visual narratives of testimony. We hope that our annual meetings provide opportunities for community and connection, supporting future arts-based research and acknowledging the important work created thus far.