Common Circles: Addressing Violence Through Art

Last October I started working at Common Weal Community Arts as the Southern Artistic Coordinator. And around the same time I started working on the upcoming programming for the next few years. During that period, there was a lot going on in my life and my friends life, dealing with the topics of violence. I think we felt angry/confused/tired/helpless. We felt we needed to actually DO something about it. Because of this, a good friend of mine Danette, who is an artist and teacher, started brainstorming on possible projects that Common Weal could do with this topic.

Fast forward to August, and we have now finished a
workshop series called Common Circles: Addressing Violence Through Art with some fantastic artists (Jori Cachene, Traci Foster and Sherry Farrell Racette). Common Circles was a workshop-based project approaching the issues of violence against women and
families using visual art, creation and voice. Working within themes of independence, generosity, belonging and freedom, the workshops provided an avenue for participants to explore, learn, share and visually represent these ideas in relation to the topics of violence. We also presented the work created and workshop series at the "Missing Women: Decolonization, Third Wave Feminisms, and Indigenous People of Canada and Mexico" at the University of Regina. To finish up the project, we will be working with Combine, to create a book about the project and to pass on the ideas behind the workshops, so schools and organizations can carry on what we have created and facilitated. The book should be done sometime in October...a year later, a full circle.

To find out more about the project, visit Common Weal Community Arts. Sign up for our e-list and we will keep you in the know.

Thank you to all the participants, artists and elders...it was the perfect way to spend the summer. xo.