The University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education hosted the “Why Can’t They Play” gathering to celebrate the end of Phase 1 for RE.sport — an initiative focused on reimagining, rebuilding, and reclaiming youth sport through research and community action. Bringing together over 100 academic researchers, sport partners, and community advocates, the event examined barriers to participation across key areas, including body diversity, gender identity, disability, social class, and Indigeneity.
Graphic recorder Brittany captured the fast-paced program in real time, illustrating rapid-fire presentation talks from academics and community sport leaders. Moving away from the typical “athlete” clichés, the artwork intentionally centered on joyful, everyday movement, depicting kids of all backgrounds, body types, and abilities playing informally, jumping in puddles, and simply having fun in inclusive spaces.
To make the artwork as versatile as possible, Brittany structured each talk within its own modular section so individual presentations could be cropped and shared as standalone visual assets. Following a live walkthrough recap at the close of the summit, we delivered a suite of six full-scale graphic recordings alongside individual presentation crops and 4K time-lapse videos. The graphics are now being used across RE.sport’s social media, podcasts, and strategic reports to drive ongoing dialogue and advocate for systemic change in youth sport.