Turning Inward: A Creative Writing and Art Therapy Workshop for BIPOC

Join us and Kimberly Sunder July 6th from 2-4 for an afternoon of Turning Inward, a Creative Writing and Art Therapy Workshop for BIPOC Folks.

Venue & Accesibility:

The event will be hosted at the Massy Arts Gallery, at 23 East Pender Street in Chinatown, Vancouver. We are located in the former MING WO building.

Registration is offered by sliding scale $15-35, with 10 spots available.

The gallery is wheelchair accessible and a gender-neutral washroom is on-site.

Please refrain from wearing scents or heavy perfumes.

For more on accessibility including parking, seating, venue measurements and floor plan, and how to request ASL interpretation please visit: massyarts.com/accessibility

Covid Protocols: Masks keep our community safe and are mandatory (N95 masks are recommended as they offer the best protection). We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.

About Facilitator Kimberly Sunder: Hi! My name is Kimberly. I am a queer Sikh writer and trauma-informed facilitator who has been offering creative writing and art therapy workshops since the end of 2023. I have a deep love for storytelling and I am so excited to finally be sharing that passion with my communities. I have been dreaming about hosting a BIPOC centred workshop for 4 years and I can’t believe I am privileged enough to have my first one at Massy! My goal to start hosting BIPOC specific writing workshops came into being after my own experiences attending writing workshops. I really desired having a space where BIPOC folks could get together, share their experiences and hold space for each other in a way that only we can fully embody. My goal with my workshops is to create a warm and inviting space where folks can delve deeper into their life stories and who they authentically are at their core. My aim is to create bridges of connection and a sense of community within the vast diaspora of BIPOC folks in so called “Vancouver”.

About the Workshop Turning Inward: This will be part 1 of a 2 part series held at Massy Arts Society. The workshops will be sold individually. We will be exploring the theme of “Death and Rebirth”. Part 1 will have writing prompts centred around “Death” and will have the group processing outdated or old versions of themselves they have been holding onto for comfort or safety. Part 2 will be centred around “Rebirth” and will have the group making space for and envisioning an awakening of their selves stepping into the full embodiment of themselves.

In many BIPOC communities, there is often a commonality of feeling shame and guilt when we want to step outside of the traditional norm of our cultures. This can cause us to mask who we truly are or what we desire out of life, postponing what calls to us and what is meant for us. In this workshop, I will be offering prompts that will move the group from being in a state of stuck to a more self-accepting, compassionate and loving way of being. I will also be offering grounding practices to start the workshop, and we will be ending with time for some creative art therapy with watercolours. I like welcoming folks to share their writing in a judgment free space after each prompt, though it is completely mandatory, and no one will ever be forced to do anything they are uncomfortable with.

All you need to bring is something to write on, something to write with, an open mind and an open heart. I look forward to meeting you!!

Host or Publisher Massy Arts Society