ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING
Living Hyphen was born out of the glaring lack of diverse voices in mainstream media.
We started in the summer of 2017 as a publication showcasing the voices of artists and writers across what is now known as Canada who hail from over 30 ethnic backgrounds, religions, and Indigenous nations combined. But as we dived deeper into the work, we realized that what is missing goes far deeper a publication or platform for our diverse voices. What we lack – particularly in racialized communities – is a culture that encourages our storytelling.
Those of us from marginalized communities – particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour – have been told from our earliest days by the institutions and influences around us that our stories don’t matter, that our stories are not worth listening to, are not valid, are not Canadian enough, are not X ethnicity enough, are not, are not, are not.
Because of this, our stories are left not only unheard, they are left entirely untold.
That’s why at Living Hyphen, we’ve since expanded our mandate to create cultural programming where hyphenated Canadians feel compelled and confident to share their stories. We now facilitate writing workshops and storytelling nights to encourage courageous and tender storytelling within our communities.
Representation matters, yes. We need to see ourselves in the media that we consume to even be able to imagine ourselves in experiences. We need to see ourselves in the media that we consume to aspire for opportunities greater than what may be available in our immediate world. But more than representation, we need programming, resources, and mentorship to turn that imagining into action and into reality.
At Living Hyphen, we want to go deeper than representation and move towards truly cultivating these diverse voices by creating an inclusive space and supportive community to encourage this practice of storytelling.
At Living Hyphen, we believe that anyone who writes is a writer. We design our workshops to be intimate and jam-packed with writing. We give you writing prompts to spark your creativity and give time and space to share your story in a safe and positive environment.
““”If you’ve never attended a writing workshop, this is a worthwhile opportunity to jump in and give it a try! On the other hand, writers more experienced in the variety of styles of workshops will also find value in the warm, inviting and inspiring environment that this program offers.
You’ll find yourself exploring thoughts that you may never have considered writing about. If you’re feeling nervous about sharing your writing, just know that you’re not alone — your fellow participants will be learning and growing and stretching too! You will thank yourself for taking this time out to write and share among a group of friendly writers.”” – Maya”
OUR PARTNERS
We’ve been very fortunate to work with a number of different community-based organizations and institutions to deliver our writing workshops across Ontario and Quebec. If you’d like to work together to develop programming for your community, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Drop us a line at hello@livinghyphen.ca.
“We have been so happy to have Living Hyphen participate in the Ontario Culture Days festival for the past two years! In 2019 I was able to attend the program in person, and was moved by the sharing and collaboration that took place during the writing workshop. Immediately after the festival I reached out to Living Hyphen about returning for 2020. After taking part in the program again this year, I was blown away by Justine’s ability to translate the same feelings of warmth and approachability on a digital platform. Living Hyphen workshops provide participants with the encouragement and confidence to share their own stories, without dictating what they should do or say. I absolutely recommend them!”
We aim to cultivate a space where amateur and emerging writers and artists can share their stories in an open, honest, and kind space. We often partner with local cafes and independent bookshops to host these storytelling and open mic nights creating an inviting and intimate space for all. Below are just a few snapshots from event we have hosted in the past.
If you’d like to work together to host a storytelling event, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Drop us a line at hello@livinghyphen.ca.
