Ill Wind (2001)

Ill Wind(2001) was produced in two stages. The first stage involved a series of visual workshops. They were conducted with health care workers in Kingston (kitchen staff), Guelph (home care workers), Hamilton (maintenance and clerical staff) and two separate workshops in Oshawa (clerical staff and nursing assistants). The workers visualized, through a set of theatrical exercises, both the work they do and their concerns. From the image ideas gathered at the workshops a series of five photographic concepts – one for each workshop/sector – were developed. These concepts were then discussed and finalized by the workers and their union. The underlying theme, expressed in different ways, was their frustration and anger over not being able to provide the care their patients needed.

The second stage involved the photographing of the final images. Two members from each of the workshops were invited to pose/act as themselves in the images, along with actors who played the patients and managers.