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Tomorrow Is Ours: IBPOC Futurisms
February 22, 2017- 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
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~TOMORROW IS OURS! IBPOC FUTURISMS ~
7-Week multi-disciplinary writing workshop. For Indigenous people, Black people and other people of colour (including mixed-race folks)
February 22nd – April 5th, 2016
Application deadline: Friday, February 10th
Apply here: bit.ly/2iAY5iy
Maximum 12 participants
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“Any progressive social change must be imagined first” – Martin Espada
“Folks being empowered to write themselves into the story is what this is all about. Challenging the idea that only certain people are allowed to tell the narrative of the future is also about challenging the idea that only certain people have the ability to build the future, or to imagine how our lives should be structured.” – Walidah Imarisha
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WHERE:
Vancouver Status of Women, 2652 East Hastings, Vancouver
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WHEN:
◆3 hour workshops
◆Wednesday evenings
◆6 pm – 9 pm
◆February 22nd – April 5th
(Please note: Facebook is no longer allowing event pages longer than 2 weeks. This is a 7-week workshop, not 1 day)
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WHY:
2016 was a difficult year, in the midst of difficult decades and centuries, for Indigenous people, Black people and other people of colour. The struggles we are facing are not new struggles, only the latest manifestations of the systems of oppression that seek to silence and erase us.
Now more than ever, we feel IBPOC voices are urgently needed in these times to lift up and give hope to ourselves, our people and broader communities. We’re inspired by the incredible work being done by Afro-futurists and Indigenous-futurists in creating tangible and truly liberating futures for racialized people. Moving beyond reacting to the systems that oppress us and into future building for the world/s we want to manifest is work the universe urgently needs to hear, from our voices and perspectives.
We believe that writing workshops by and for racialized people are a critical, yet rare, resource for building loving and resilient communities.
We are constantly reacting, reaching outward, giving what we can and trying to survive in a system that eats up our bodies, our hearts, our spirits.
Instead, let’s move beyond the reactionary. Let’s move into the imaginative, the creative and the transformative. Together, let’s dream up radical alternatives to white supremacy and systems of oppression. Let’s take time together to imagine new futures and better worlds.
◆What are the futures we want, need and breathe?
◆What new worlds could we create beyond the limits of dominant science, society and power structures?
◆What would the world look like if we centered the knowledge systems from our own communities, spiritualities, and ancestries?
◆What if liberation had already been achieved?
◆What would this world, where we have achieved liberation by and for our people, look, taste, smell and feel like?
◆What are the steps to getting us there?
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WHO:
You are someone who:
◆wants to reach into and beyond your imagination
◆be part of a creative process that allows you to nurture your playfulness and be part of working to build radical alternatives for our futures
◆may or may not identify as a writer but who likes to write
◆wants to explore the connection between your mind, heart, body and spirit through writing and storytelling
◆is willing to reach into the realms of intuition, instinct and imagination to tap into visions of a liberatory world and/or worlds
◆is committed to anti-oppression principles and understanding the lifelong journey of learning and unlearning
◆is willing to take creative risks in a nurturing, loving group environment
We are:
◆Molly: Northern Coast Salish (Homalco/Klahoose), queer, mixed, urban indigenous, spoken word poet, facilitator and youth worker (more info coming)
◆Amal: Pakistani, brown mixie, Muslim, queer, performance poet, facilitator/educator (more info coming)
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HOW:
Workshops will use a combination of:
◆writing prompts and other methods of creative expression (visual, oral and more)
◆texts, audio, video, other resources and inspiration
◆interactive exercises
◆group discussions and individual writing time
◆optional sharing within a loving and reflective environment
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“Once the imagination is unshackled, liberation is limitless.” Walidah Imarisha
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APPLY/COST:
If you have read all of the above and are feeling encouraged, we invite you to apply!
You can do so here: bit.ly/2iAY5iy
The deadline to apply is Friday, February 10th, (midnight pst).
Registration Fee: $300-$500
Note: We are doing this workshop without external funding. In order to allow us to do this sustainably, as Indigenous and Muslim artists and independent educators/facilitators, we have set a sliding scale registration fee of $300 – $500.
We also understand first hand the very limited resources available to Indigenous people, Black people and people of colour. We do not want registation fees to be a barrier for the very people who need this workshop the most – our communities.
We are calling on our allies in the community to support this work by donating funds. There are 12 spots available for this workshop series, open only to IBPOC. Our hope is that the registration fee for many of these spots can be covered by donations from allies. There is no guarantee of funds though we will do our best to fundraise. If, as an applicant, you are making a sustainable wage and/or are able to pay on a scale of $300-$500 for the registration fee, we welcome that. If you are able to pay less than $300-$500, we are looking to raise donations from allies to support your registration. There is also the possibility of paying in installments or other payment plans. The amount you are able to contribute will not effect your eligibility to participate in the workshop. Just gives us a clear picture of how much money we are looking to raise to support this initiative. If you have questions about this- please reach out! ibpocfutures@gmail.com
Limited to 12 participants
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ACCESSIBILITY:
-The space is one level and wheelchair/scooter accessible throughout, including the entrance and the single stall, gender neutral washroom.
-Seating consists of two couches, some desk chairs and regular un-cushioned chairs, both with arms and without. There are also several large pillows and a lot of carpeted floor space for moving, stretching, etc.
– We’ll strive together to create a scent reduced space. We are however not the only ones using the space. There are some scented materials used for cleaning.
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Questions?
Email: ibpocfutures@gmail.com
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