The X Page: A Storytelling Workshop was instigated by Carrie Snyder in 2019, and the inaugural project was set into motion thanks to the collective energy and effort of a large team of collaborators, sponsors and supporters.
Workshop sessions ran for twelve intense weeks, led by writer Tasneem Jamal and director Pam Patel.
Dr. Lamees Al Ethari, of the University of Waterloo, Pamela Mulloy, editor of The New Quarterly, and Melissa Durrell, founder and owner of Durrell Comm, volunteered their expertise as well.
Our workshop uses writing and drawing exercises based on Lynda Barry’s teaching and philosophy: The X Page is the opposite of a blank page; it’s the space where we enter into an image using all of our senses.
The X Page: A Storytelling Workshop is an interdisciplinary community arts project that connects women who are immigrants or refugees with artists in Waterloo Region, who assist and mentor them in writing and performing their own stories.
The X Page performance in the spring of 2019 featured music, movement, staged scenes, and the compelling personal stories of nineteen women, told in their own voices.
The women’s stories were also published online by The New Quarterly literary magazine and can be found by clicking here.
Workshop sessions focused on writing and performing, but as importantly, everyone involved shared laughter, friendship, and a strong sense of community and purpose. There were also great snacks!
