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The Welcome Project_ Sharing Stories (3)

The Welcome Project: Sharing Stories

presented by Dreamwalker Dance Company and Guelph Dance in collaboration with Ontario Culture Days

Ali
Akram
Aura
Classic Roots
Danielle
Gabriella
Foufou
Claire
Jaqueline
Masoumeh
Michelle
Cynthia
Saba
Kinnery
Abby
Aria
Natalia
Neelma
Sandra
Shannon
Tahereh
Bee
Chenise
Jair
Jordan
Manu
Meryem
Naishi
Stella

The Welcome Project: Sharing Stories brings together individuals from diverse populations to participate in an empowering creative process through movement -- awakening bodies, hearts, voices, imaginations, and perceptions -- to co-create deeply personal stories while promoting mental health and wellbeing, social inclusion, and positive inter-group communication. The Sharing Stories edition of The Welcome Project takes place in a virtual setting to inspire individuals from already isolated populations to meet, connect, and experience inclusivity, creativity and self-expression during a time when other arts-based activities have been suspended and physical distancing must be upheld. 

 

The Welcome Project: Sharing Stories video collection introduces each individual with a glimpse into their personal experience within the shared movement and memory process that connected everyone to the theme of “home”.  Joshua "Classic Roots" DePerry has composed a unique music track inspired by each individual’s heartbeat vocalizations and the videos were edited by Aria Evans. 

The Welcome Project: Sharing Stories

Chapter One (August - October 2020)

​presented by Dreamwalker Dance Company and Guelph Dance in collaboration with Ontario Culture Days

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Facilitators

Meryem Alaoui, Aria Evans, Shannon Kitchings, Claire Tacon

 

Ambassadors

Jaqueline Dubon, Manuel Garcia, Maria Gabriela Gómez, Stella Lim, Chenise Mitchell, Foufou Nazer, Naishi Wang, Abigail Whitney

Participants: Ali Abdel Ali, Jair Calva, Aura Carcueva, Natalia Garcia, Donat Ghebretensae, Jordan Isaac, Akram Koshesh, Tahereh Mirbabaei, Cynthia Mora, Sandra Olaya, Neelma Siddiqui, Bee Lee Soh, Kinnery Thompson, Priyamvada Tiwari, Masoumeh Zamanipoor, Saba Zhian

 

Project partners 

Guelph Dance, Ontario Culture Days, City of Toronto, Newcomer Office, Guelph Youth Dance Training Program,

Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, KidsAbility

 

Project funders

Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council

 

Staff

Project Instigator: Andrea Nann

Project Manager: Annie Katsura Rollins

Mixed Abilities Consultant: Michelle Silagy

Indigenous Liaison: Phil Davis

Researcher: Danielle Denichaud

Dreamwalker General Manager: Adina Herling

Dreamwalker Social Media Manager: Hayley Goldenberg 

Guelph Dance Outreach and Development Manager: Leslie Fisher

It is our intent that everyone feels invited, wanted, and welcomed to participate in our events and activities. We continue to do the work to listen, learn, unlearn, and relearn in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement, and in recognition of all past and present atrocities, persecution and mistreatment of people based on their ethnicity, culture, place of origin, race, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical appearance, and/or (dis)ability.   We stand in solidarity with all who are facing or have faced persecution or discrimination, and are working to create a supportive, safe and equitable world. 

 

We are honoured to live, work and create in Toronto/Tkaronto on Dish With One Spoon Indigenous Territory and acknowledge the Land as Traditional Territory of many Nations including the Haudenosaunee, the Anishnabeg, the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Chippewa, and the Wendat Peoples.

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