Resilient He[Arts] and Qalams

Hosted By: Heba K.

Project for Ages: 10 to 60 Years Old

Project Category: Culturally-responsive narrative arts-based mindfulness program

Project Summary:

8-10 week narrative arts program called Resilient He[Arts] and Qalams with the arts in parentheses to highlight that art is at the heart of our communities and qalam is a traditional pen in the Islamic arts, like a quill, that is used for calligraphy. My intention to use this word is to speak to the multi-generational piece where there is something familiar for the older generation and together, it represents the intersectionality of hybrid cultures. The program uses the principal tenet of dastaan-goi which is to preserve history and share stories through the process of creating and sharing art. Although the program would be most beneficial if participants attend all of the workshops, I want to be able to prioritize choice and autonomy and will create the workshops to be connected but still be independent. I envision each workshop beginning with some form of Islamic spiritual mindfulness to anchor ourselves in our experiences and embody our stories in a spiritually responsive way. I will try to offer these workshops in languages native to the community for increased accessibility. At the end of the pilot program, I hope to hold an exhibition and auction where the artists from the program can reclaim ownership of their legacy.

Contributing To An Inclusive Canada

My project focuses on the needs that are catered to a specific intersection of communities that have been systemically excluded and are underserved. My goal is to leverage the assets already present within this community to meet these needs. In this way, my goal is to strengthen the community from within and to establish belonging through the social inclusion of diverse members of our communities. There is a misconception that the South Asian Muslim community is a monolith although it is not, and by catering to this very nuanced community, it is my goal to shed light on and serve these communities in contributing to a more inclusive Canada.