“Beauty and pleasure are freedom rituals…taking my body and telling my own story with it, especially inside of a state, a nation that is concerned with writing my histories and writing my body as legible in certain kinds of ways or illegible in certain kinds of ways, it’s powerful.” – adrienne maree brown
Those of us from racialized communities are asked all too often to default to our stories of hardships, trauma, and oppression. While these stories are important and necessary, we are also so much more than that. Our stories are beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting, contradictory, and constantly unfolding. Most importantly, our joy is essential to justice and our collective liberation.
This playshop is guided and inspired by adrienne maree brown’s book Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good. Through gentle movement, creative/reflective writing, and arts-based prompts, we’ll lean into the moments that sustain us – laughter, beauty, care, connection – and consider how these experiences shape our visions for a more just world.
No writing or activism experience is necessary – only an open heart and an open mind with a readiness to give and receive vulnerability.
Date & Time: Monday, July 6 | 7-10 p.m.
Location: The Theatre Centre | 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto
Cost: Pay what you can! See suggested contributions below.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Our creative workshops operate on a pay-what-you-can model to make them accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. We invite you to contribute an amount that feels sustainable for you, knowing that your contribution helps support the facilitators and makes future community offerings possible. These tiers are meant to help guide your decision, so contribute what best reflects your current financial capacity and the value this experience holds for you. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
$10 – Community: For those with limited income or financial constraints.
$25 – Cultivate: Supports our facilitators’ labour and material costs.
$40 – Grow: Reflects the true cost of the workshop and helps sustain Living Hyphen’s work.
$50 – Solidarity: Subsidizes spots for others who need reduced pricing.
LOCATION & VENUE
The Theatre Centre is located at 1115 Queen St W. on the corner of Queen and Lisgar. There’s street parking in the area and bike racks on the eastside of the building. If you’re travelling by TTC, take the 501 Queen streetcar to Abell St or Dovercourt Rd. When you get here, enter through the side doors on Lisgar St.
The Theatre Centre is physically accessible to audiences and artists alike. Each level has a barrier-free washroom and there’s a lift available for public use.
ABOUT FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY
At Living Hyphen, we strive to make all our initiatives financially sustainable while also maintaining artistic independence and ensuring accessibility for our community. Our creative workshops operate on a pay-what-you-can model to make them accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. We invite participants to contribute an amount that feels sustainable for them — whether that’s a little or a lot — knowing that your contribution helps support the facilitators and makes future community offerings possible. We also recognize that our financial capacity changes across time, with some days being harder than others. We ask you to make the choice that feels right for you right now! No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
About Your Facilitator: Justine Abigail Yu
Justine Abigail Yu is the founder of Living Hyphen. She is an award-winning workshop facilitator whose work with Living Hyphen has been featured on national and local media outlets including the Globe & Mail, CTV National News, and the CBC. Recognized as a “Changemaker” by the Toronto Star, Justine Abigail is a fierce advocate for diversity and representation in Canada’s arts and literature scene. Her mission is to stir the conscience and spur social change.
Follow her work at justineabigail.com or across socials at @justineabigail.