Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

In this time of increased gendered violence, intensifying wage inequality, and rising social isolation, community creative writing programs for marginalized women can form an important site of creative resistance and change. They can provide a supportive environment for women to write stories about the realities of their lives, reverse the transmission model of learning by empowering women to become creators and public presenters, and increase the community’s understanding of the challenges and issues that shape women’s lives. This paper examines community creative writing programs for women as a catalyst for change through a case study of Sister Writes, an intersectional creative writing program for women marginalized by factors such as trauma, mental health issues, under-housing, and extraordinary life circumstances in Toronto, Canada. Since 2010, Sister Writes has mounted over 300 free workshops that provide a space for women to develop writing and leadership skills, receive mentorship from professional women writers, learn effective communication strategies to become more active members of the community, and design and lead workshops as they work collectively towards publishing and launching a literary magazine of their own creation. Drawing on a theoretical context in arts education for thinking about community creative writing programs for women, and my eight years of experience as Founding Creative Director of Sister Writes, my presentation will shed light on how creative writing programs for women – theoretically and practically - can be a catalyst for change.