In its 4th consecutive year, Resist Recycle Regenerate continued to cultivate community for a new youth cohort while adapting to a digital format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership team translated the program curriculum and weekly artmaking sessions to Zoom while responding to the cohort's emergent needs as femme and queer Asian youth navigating a difficult political moment.

During the first phase, fellows learned a variety of art making skills taught by several visiting artists, community partners, and our teaching artist, Emily Chow Bluck. They grounded these art-making practices in their identities and social action through workshops based on topics like narrative film, social movement art, and oral histories. 

For the second phase of our curriculum, fellows had workshops centered around solidarity and political education. In hopes of emphasizing coalition building, we dedicated a portion of this year to reflect on current events and understand the complex histories between communities of color. From reflective writing activities led by K-Ming Chang to weekly solidarity workshops led by Emily Chow Bluck, we were able to curate a supportive space for fellows to learn and grow amongst one another. Through this phase, fellows were able to take time to explore their own identities and eventually implement this learning into their final projects, all while understanding what it means to exist in such a diverse and ever-changing space. 

The third and final phase was a culmination of the first two phases. Using the skills, experiences, and interests that they fostered throughout the year, the fellows began to envision, plan, and execute a collaborative final project in pairs. Many of the fellows’ projects engaged with themes of collective Asian/American histories, personal migration stories, and communal and collective cultural practices as they incorporated their own personal interests with their digital art-making skills and their knowledge of history, activism, and resistance. A virtual showcase celebrated the fellows’ work throughout the year.