STORIES OF HOME: AN EXHIBITION AT THE PEEL ART GALLERY, MUSEUM and ARCHIVES
At Living Hyphen, we know the importance of archiving the history of our diverse communities; histories that have, all too often, gone undocumented, unheard, and untold. That’s why we are so proud to have partnered with the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) to support curating their latest exhibition, Stories of Home: Finding Community and Belonging in Peel.
Opening on September 21st, 2024, this exhibition looks at the migration stories of the many diverse communities in Peel and explores what home means to the people living, working in, and visiting Peel. Throughout history finding a home in Peel has been exciting, overwhelming, and, at times, difficult. This exhibition explores the ideas around establishing connection to place and creating a sense of belonging that strengthens community. Through personal stories, video, images, and objects, this exhibition showcases the connections between Peel’s past, present, and future, and is a powerful testament to the contributions of the many diverse communities in the region.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS IN COMMUNITY BUILDING
Over the last year, we have been working in deep collaboration with PAMA to amplify and highlight the important stories of immigrant and newcomer communities. At Living Hyphen, we value the process as much as – if not far more than – the final product itself, and we strive to bring as many voices to the table wherever and whenever possible. The Stories of Home exhibition is a vibrant example of community partnership in practice and the importance of care in our process. We invite you to scroll below to the many different facets that went into this exhibition.
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SOURCING ARTIFACTS FROM OUR COMMUNITY
FACILITATING STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS WITH NEWCOMER COMMUNITIES
WORKING WITH THE PEEL DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD TO BRING IN STUDENT VOICES
“The moment the visitor enters the exhibition, they are immersed into a space that welcomes our differences. It is our hope that this exhibit invites us all to explore and celebrate Peel’s diverse histories and lived experiences as well as celebrating how we all come together to find a place of belonging in the region.”
In the summer of 2023, we shared a call for artifacts to our community asking if individuals and/or families were willing to share and loan any personal belongings related to their journey to Peel to showcase in the museum. This could include photographs, luggage, outfits, plane tickets, currency, special objects or memorabilia, or any other mementos that were meaningful to their migration journeys. We then hosted a storytelling workshop to co-create the stories that would be shared alongside their belongings in the exhibition.
WITH SHERIDAN COLLEGE
In the fall of 2023, we connected with Sheridan College’s Stories of Home project that aims to elevate the voices of students, faculty, and staff in the ESL and TESOL Plus programs. We facilitated a storytelling workshop with students and faculty alike that spoke to our different journeys to so-called “Canada”. Many of the stories first developed in this workshop is now featured in PAMA’s exhibition.
Sheridan’s Stories of Home inspires connectivity, empathy, and understanding. It builds connections and elevates a sense of pride in our heritage and identity. It promotes equity and inclusion. It brings students, faculty and staff together.
This creative project was made possible by the Sheridan community of students, faculty and staff in the ESL, TESOL Plus, and Journalism programs.
WITH THE BRAMPTON ARTS ORGANIZATION (BAO)
The Brampton Art’s Organization’s Newcomer Creative Exchange series has been developed for newcomer artists, creatives, or cultural workers looking to continue their arts and culture careers in Canada. The program creates a space for these Brampton-based newcomers to gather, network, create, and learn together in a welcoming and supportive environment. We were thrilled to be part of this program to facilitate a writing workshop at PAMA where we explored the meaning of home, identity, and belonging through our own stories.
In the winter and spring of 2024, Living Hyphen worked in partnership with the Peel District School Board (PDSB) on the Stories of Home, a multimodal and plurilingual project to support newcomer students and English Language Learners (ELLs) in their French as a Second Language (FSL) classrooms. It was a unique and culturally responsive learning opportunity for students to share their migration stories on their own terms and in the language(s) of their choice. Students were then guided and encouraged to share their stories through various media including but not limited to spoken word poetry, podcasting, sculpture, painting, drawing, video animation, and so much more.
The Stories of Home project was inspired by PAMA’s exhibition. The project was broad in scope, including a series of storytelling workshops for middle/high schools, the creation of PDSB’s first plurilingual poetry collection amplifying the voices of over 70 English Language Learners and newcomer students, and a student showcase and poetry festival at PAMA.
What goes on behind the scenes at a museum? We had the chance to lift the veil and share the complex process of exhibition curation and development with our community in the summer of 2024. Attendees were invited to check out the Stories of Home while still in progress, speaking to curators and partners about what it takes to develop partnerships for meaningful historical recording, and what we envision for this project.
This is How We Do It: Creating Museum Exhibitions was an especially enlightening exhibit curated by Claire Bennett with contributions by PAMA staff and illustrations by Sean L. Moore @sketchandsniffdesign.
PAMA and Living Hyphen want to show our community the sometimes messy, but always meaningful process that goes into this work!
In this open-mic style event, we invited the Peel community to listen to storytellers who shared their migration journey to Canada and what it has meant to find home and belonging in Peel Region. From dance to comedy, from poetry to song, our storytellers took the stage at the historic courtroom to reclaim space and speak our lived experiences out loud. This gathering was a beautiful mosaic of our complex and varied journeys. We invite you to watch their performances and bear witness.
In Partnership with THE PEEL ART GALLERY, MUSEUM + ARCHIVES
PAMA is an accessible, safe space for the diverse communities of the Region of Peel (Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga) to come together and celebrate arts and culture. We strive to be a place where you can see yourself reflected and actively contribute to building a “Community for Life”.
It’s a place to explore and learn about Peel's culture and heritage, as well as use conversation, questions and stories to help make new and fascinating connections to the surrounding community. PAMA offers a variety of workshops and programs for all ages, families, and adults. There is something for everyone.
Our buildings are our largest artifacts. The site is made of historic buildings: the Peel County Courthouse and Jail, the former Registry Office, and the Modernist Building.