I am a digital media artist passionate about ideas, innovation, community development, learning and educating. I am also concerned with the rapid gentrification taking over the DTES and the eradication of long term community residents that do not have access to technology to tell their stories about the inequalities currently impacting their community.

I am part of W2 project because I believe in the necessity of building a community digital-media-art centre in the DTES. A community centre that encourages people to learn about technology, share ideas, and explore how technology can be used to ignite positive change locally-as I believe this is the future of digital media.

The future of digital media is open to diverse opinions, ideas and removing technological barriers by providing people with the opportunities to learn, share and tell their own stories though technology and art.

W2 will be a 14,000-16,000 square foot complex that will house a TV lab, radio lab, a disability art centre, a social enterprise café-the list goes on. It will not only be a safe space for people to tell their stores, but it will provide community access to technological tools, that currently remain largely unavailable to many people living and working in the community.

I have learned many things while being part of the W2 project, yet the most valuable lesson has been there are many people living in the DTES that want to learn how to send an email, attach an image, create a website, edit a video and create their own TV/radio program.

I envision W2 like a recreational centre, but instead of exercise equipment there are computers, scanners and video cameras- a public space where people can flex their minds away from the digital divide and towards a more technological free and democratic future.

W2 is working towards offering the DTES what many of us take for granted -fair access to technology and a creative space to learn, mentor and create. To me this is the future of digital technology and I am honored to be part of it.