In this workshop Chris will work with participants, who can send him some work in advance at: bosechris@gmail.com, to really find their story, which means, finding their voice. The authentic voice, the real one, not the one worried about what people will say or think or whatever, but that vulnerable story, the voice that wants to be heard and share experiences and adventures, fun, sad, good, bad, and whatever you need to express in a safe, creative environment. It often means taking risks but sometimes when you take a chance, amazing things can happen. Or not. Hahaha.

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Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician, curator and filmmaker.

He is of the Secwepemc and Nlaka’pamux Nation in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops B.C.

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About Exchanging Words Workshops

Exchanging Words is a new project in a partnership between Warriors Against Violence Society, Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast, and WePress. By providing writing and storytelling workshops to the community at a number of events online, the workshops encourage participants to write and tell stories about experiences with violence (which can include residential school, the 60s scoop, murdered and missing family members, family violence, and intimate partner violence).

The sessions are a way for people to express themselves in ways that they might not have had access to in the past or perhaps ever considered before. Led by professional Indigenous writers in our communities who are collective members of the Aboriginal Writers Collective West Coast (AWCWC). The variety of approaches in writing include traditionally-inspired storytelling, poetry, songwriting, fiction, personal essay, and theatre.

The participants will have access to counsellors during this process to ensure that people feel safe to share. The participants will be encouraged to publish their work online through the AWCWC’s new website in a collection at the end of the process. This project is a way of giving voice to people that may have not had the opportunity to do so and at the same time raising awareness of the many forms of violence that happens in our communities.

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Online workshops will take place from February 2 through mid March 2021. Schedule and more information about the project can be found at https://www.saltchuck.ca/exchanging-words

Funding for this project comes from Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation and the Minister͛s Advisory Council on Indigenous Women through the Giving Voice Initiative.

For more information please contact Russell Wallace and other members of AWCWC at info@saltchuck.ca