Be a Kid [VICTORIA]: Visual Storytelling & Drawing!

MAR Be A Kid October in Victoria:

Join MAR and Jeff Chiba Stearns, award-winning animator, documentary filmmaker, author, and illustrator in an engaging afternoon exploring the art of visual storytelling through animation, illustration, and graphic novels.

Jeff will share his creative process and inspiration behind his graphic novels, including stories that explore Japanese Canadian history, identity, family, resilience, and belonging. He will discuss how historical stories can be brought to life through words and images, and how his Japanese and European heritage has shaped his approach to storytelling.

Jeff will also share examples from his animation and filmmaking career, including a brief look at his acclaimed documentary and animated work.

Come hear the stories behind the stories, meet Jeff, learn how to draw your own character, and take home a copy of his work!

All ages welcome.

Dates: October 4, 2026
Time: 1:00–3:00 PM

Tickets are offered on an equity pricing scale from free to $20 per person.

While we’re grateful for funding that helps make Be A Kid possible, it doesn’t cover the full cost of running these experiences. We never want cost to be the reason a child misses out, so if you’re able to pay a little more, you’ll help another family attend and support us in bringing more Be A Kid experiences to our community.

We will have fun together:

• Engaging in the creative process

• Listening to stories

• Learning to draw a graphic novel character

• Exploring Japanese Canadian history, identity, family, resilience, and belonging.

To help everyone have a safe, fun, and enjoyable day together, please keep the following in mind:

• Children must be supervised by their caregiver(s) at all times.

• Caregiver participation is welcomed and encouraged. We hope you’ll join in the fun.

• If you bring snacks, please help us keep everyone safe by bringing nut-free foods only.

• If you or your child have any accessibility, mobility, sensory, or other support needs, please let us know during registration. We’ll do our best to accommodate everyone so all families can participate comfortably.

Everyone attending must be registered.

Please *register* every adult and child attending (excluding babes in arms), even if they aren’t participating in every activity. This helps us prepare for the day, ensure everyone’s safety, and meet venue capacity requirements. Unregistered attendees may be refused entry.

Jeff is the founder of Meditating Bunny Studio Inc., an award-winning Vancouver-based animation studio and children’s book publisher. His work has been screened at hundreds of international film festivals and received more than 40 awards and accolades, including a Webby Award and an Emmy® nomination.

His recent work has increasingly focused on children’s books and graphic novels. His graphic novels include:

• On Being Yukiko (2021), co-authored and illustrated with renowned Japanese Canadian artist Lillian Michiko Blakey, exploring Japanese Canadian history and identity.
• Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma (2025), telling the story of Japanese Canadian pioneer Tomekichi Homma, illustrated by Ally Adachi.
• Ojiichan’s Dragon (2026), Jeff’s newly released third graphic novel — a historical fantasy set during the Second World War in a remote Japanese Canadian internment camp in the interior of British Columbia.

Jeff will bring copies of his books for sale, including his just-released graphic novel, Ojiichan’s Dragon. This is a great opportunity to meet the author, learn about his creative process, and take home a signed copy of his work.

Accidents arising from recreation activities occasionally happen. By attending the event, you agree to indemnify and save harmless Moms Against Racism, including their officials, officers, employees and agents from any claim, lawsuit, liability, debt, demand, loss or judgement (including costs, defence expense and interest) whatsoever and howsoever arising either directly or indirectly as a result of participating in this event. You also agree to waive all rights of subrogation or recourse against Oaklands Community Association, Jeff Chiba Stearns, and their affiliates as a result of participating in this event.

Plain language: Participate at your own risk.

Every child deserves the chance to simply be a kid.

To play freely. To explore with confidence. To try something new. To see themselves reflected in the families around them. To build friendships, confidence, and joyful memories that last long after the day is over.

For many Black, Indigenous, and Children of Colour, barriers like cost, representation, safety, and belonging can make these experiences harder to access.

Be a Kid exists to change that.

We believe that when children and families experience genuine belonging, something powerful begins to grow. Be a Kid events deliver moments of joy while also creating the conditions for children and families to thrive.

Through outdoor adventures, creative experiences, cultural learning, and community events, we bring families together to laugh, play, explore, build relationships, and strengthen community.

Our events are:

• Designed for BIPOC children and their immediate families/caregivers.

• Warmly welcoming of white-presenting children with racial heritage and white caregivers of BIPOC children.

• Created to build belonging, nurture relationships, and strengthen community through joyful shared experiences.

We’re grateful for this funding, which helps make Be A Kid possible. While it doesn’t cover the full cost of creating these experiences, it plays an important role in helping more children and families access opportunities for play, belonging, and connection.

Thank you to Jeff Chiba Stearns for partnering with us and generously donating his time, care, and expertise to our MAR Be A Kid families. We appreciate you! And thank you to Oaklands Community Association for welcoming us into their space.

Thank you as well to every family, volunteer, donor, and community partner whose support helps make Be A Kid possible.

Interested in helping us create more joyful, accessible experiences for BIPOC children and families? We’d love to