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To This Day – Collaborating to Combat Bullying

Canadian poet Shane Koyczan’s childhood experience of being the target of relentless bullying led him to write his spoken word poem, “To This Day.” The poem is a moving recount of the pain and isolation bullying causes, and a call for those who’ve experienced it to live their lives as “a balancing act that has less to do with pain and more to do with beauty.” Shane partnered with animation studio Giant Ant in Vancouver to create a collaborative animation of the poem. Overwhelmed with the quality and creativity of the submissions, Giant Ant incorporated the work of 86 artists to create multiple versions. The final animation was published in February of this year, and quickly went viral, garnering over 5,000,000 views in one week.

To This Day title frame

To This Day continues to educate on bullying and provide resources to victims. Their micrositepublicizes an anti-bullying hotline and educational resources and recently released a free iPad app. The app includes the multiple versions of each segment of the animation, so that repeat views result in a different animation each time. The app also permits users to record their own version of the poem, and includes translations in Spanish and French.

Below is a selection of frames from the animation. (Images courtesy of Giant Ant. © Giant Ant)

To This Day frames
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