Paper short abstract:

In Nunavik, children break close to 2000 windows every year by throwing rocks at them. Looking at breaking windows as an affective practice (Wetherell) the present collaborative art-based research seeks to explore what this can reveal about youth's experiences in relation to the built environment.

Paper long abstract:

The government of Quebec spends 10 million dollars annually to repair damages caused by vandalism in Nunavik and children break close to 2000 windows every year by throwing rocks at them. Clearly, the breaking of windows is a problem in Nunavik. But could this act mean something? Using Wetherell's concept of affective practice, the present research seeks to take a closer look at this act of property destruction to see what it could reveal about Nunavimmiut youth's experiences in relation to the built environment.

Despite the wide recognition of the challenges they are confronted with, there are too few studies that actually address first-hand the experiences of Inuit youth themselves in Nunavik. Using an arts-based approach, my project engages youth aged 6 to 35 in doing activities such as storytelling, social media creation and community tours. My research is conducted in close collaboration with the Nunavik Youth Houses Association (NYHA), an organisation I have been involved in for the past 16 years, which is entirely led by Inuit youth and dedicated to inspiring a new generation of young leaders. Through this explorative research, I not only want to listen to children but work with them so others can hear what they have to say.