U of T celebrating Pride with 3,000 paper cranes
Folding and assembling cranes into a rainbow-coloured flag took almost two weeks
University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Science have created a rainbow-coloured flag made up of more than 3,000 paper cranes in celebration of Pride month.
“At Hart House we are proud to celebrate diversity and inclusivity all year long, and recognition of Pride is always on our calendar,” said Stephanie Eldred, senior communications officer for Hart House, U of T’s centre for arts, dialogue, and wellness, which has the cranes on display to celebrate the start of Pride.
The cranes, made from origami paper, were assembled into a fully proportionate flag measuring 9 feet by 15 feet, said U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science communications officer Sean Bettam. He said the inspiration came from a Japanese tradition called senbazuru, which states that if a person folds1,000 origami cranes, their wish will come true.
“A folded crane has also become a symbol of hope and healing during challenging times,” Bettam said in an email.
Bettam said the idea came from Lucy Chung, the director of Infrastructure Planning for the Faculty of Arts & Science. It was made by about 50 people from the Faculty of Arts & Science, as well as, any students who participated while passing through Sidney Smith Hall, when the crane-building table was set up in the atrium.
Folding the cranes and assembling the flag took almost two weeks, Bettam said.
The cranes were lent to Hart House from the Faculty of Arts & Science.
Hart House is hosting U of T’s Pride Pub event on June 8.