Creating Kindness

Inspired by an act of kindness at a small Nova Scotia high school, Pink Shirt Day, also known as Anti-Bullying Day, has become a global movement against bullying. In 2007, a grade 9 student received threats for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. Having witnessed the bullying, two grade 12 students organized what they dubbed a “sea of pink,”¹ buying dozens of pink shirts and contacting classmates. A wave of support poured in the next day, with hundreds of students donning pink to stand up to the bullies. The movement has grown from there, raising awareness and support for anti-bullying charities worldwide. In Canada, Anti-Bullying Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday of February.  

The Ottawa Art Gallery, Giant Tiger and Kids Help Phone are collaborating for Anti-Bullying Day 2025. In the spring of 2024, we ran two t-shirt design workshops for youth artists led by illustrator and comic-book artist Andy Akangah. Participants learned how to develop a design concept and digitize hand-drawn work for clothing.  

From the resulting designs, Nevada May’s was selected for this year’s fundraising t-shirt in support of Kids Help Phone to be sold in select Giant Tiger stores and online nation-wide. 100% of profits raised from the sale of the shirts are donated to Kids Help Phone to support e-mental health services. 

This exhibition showcases the designs created by some of the participating artists: Zineb Allaoui, Nevada May, Aly McDonald, Ollie Milling, and Noura Offia.  

This exhibition was realized with the support and partnership of the Giant Tiger and Kids Help Phone.  

Curator: Haley Menard
Installation: Stephanie Germano, Dan Austin, Rob Keefe and Robert Chester
Graphic Design: Amity Bradbury 

¹ Jiang, Kevin. 2023. “What Is Pink Shirt Day? How One Act of Kindness Kick Started a Global Movement.” Toronto Star. February 22, 2023. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/what-is-pink-shirt-day-how-one-act-of-kindness-kick-started-a-global-movement/article_ce4acedb-9b14-5c28-a672-a4b8491c4511.html.

Kids Help Phone (KHP) is Canada’s trailblazing 24/7 e-mental health solution and a global leader in youth mental health innovation. For over 35 years, KHP has been the space for any feeling or issue, no matter how big or small, empowering young people across Canada to feel out loud with free, confidential, multilingual support. With innovation in our DNA, KHP continually evolves by blending technology with the empathy of our clinical experts to better serve youth. In 2024, KHP launched acceleratorKHP to drive scalable solutions for complex mental health issues, amplifying youth voices and fostering global partnerships. By redefining mental health care through e-solutions, KHP is setting a global standard for transformative impact, shaping the future of mental wellness and ensuring every young person thrives. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca.

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