Hope in Shadows Calendar 2025
byThe Hope in Shadows Calendar for 2025 has just been released, featuring photography from the annual Downtown Eastside (“DTES”) community members photo contest.
Congratulations to Naomi Gabriel for her winning image “A Moment in Time” which won the cover prize for 2025! The image shows community members Melissa James, Ian Bee, Kelvin Bee and Allan Williams outside of Aboriginal Front Door getting ready to start drumming.
Hope in Shadows Calendar 2025
Every year in May, the Hope in Shadows calendar project engages up to 150 DTES community members in a photo contest. Participants are provided a theme, disposable camera and training on how to gather consent from photo subjects, and sent out into the streets for 5 days to take images of their lives. Returned cameras are developed, resulting in up to 2,500 images for a jury of community members and staff to parse down to the Top 30.
These images are taken to public events and community centres for ballot voting and the finalists are published in the annual calendar. Finalists and photo subjects are honoured at the annual calendar launch event and awarded certificates, award money and copies of the image.
Get Your Calendar
The calendar is purchased by Megaphone vendors for $10 and sold on the street for $20, with vendors keeping the profits. Every year, dozens of vendors return to Megaphone during the calendar season to sell calendars to be able to afford holiday gifts for friends and family, or to increase their income. Find your local vendor using this online map. You can also sign up for Megaphone Magazine subscriptions, bulk delivery of the calendar, the Voices of the Street anthology, and other products here.
Through award-winning photography featured in a widely circulated calendar, the project highlights lived experiences and prompts reflection on the barriers hindering equal participation. The calendar will be available on at the Megaphone Breakfast Fundraiser on October 17th at the Roundhouse as well. Tickets for this event are available online.
Follow Megaphone on Facebook at any time for updates.
Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a monthly columnist for Megaphone Magazine.
