In support of our BIPOC community, InkWell Workshops, in partnership with the Royal Ontario Museum, has decided to postpone our ROMWrites workshop on June 8. We stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by systemic racism and recognize its effects on mental health. During this time, the ROM will be taking meaningful steps towards implementing inclusive, anti-racist practices. You can read their full statement here.
InkWell Workshops will also continue to support our writers through new and existing programming. Current participants can join us for our Writing for Social Justice workshop on June 17, and stay tuned for new BIPOC literary salons coming later this summer. Our staff will also be engaging in additional training through the CMHA to better support our diverse network of creators.
For writing, mental health, and other resources, please take a look at our new Anti-Racist Resource Sheet.
Until ROMWrites resumes on June 22, we encourage you to consider the following writing exercise:
Think about the first fictional character you ever identified with:
a) What qualities did they possess that reminded you of yourself?
b) Were you used to encountering characters like you in popular culture?
i. If yes: As a writer, how can you help build a creative landscape that
incorporates other experiences?
ii. If no: How do you choose to write your realities into your creative work, and
what power can you draw from this?
Take care of yourself and the people around you, and we will see you on June 22!
In solidarity,
The InkWell Workshops Collective