In collaboration with WORKING FOR CHANGE the Toronto Writers Collective presents Write On!

Do you have a story to tell? We want to hear it.

Are you working on a memoir, poem, or short story and looking to develop your craft?

Join Write On!
A free writing workshop, open to all writers.

You will have the opportunity to hone your writing skills in a supportive environment, under the mentorship of a published author, and your work may be featured in a published anthology.

To register, call 647-261-3720. Your application and writing sample should be sent to: the Toronto Writers Collective at [email protected] Applications due August 23, 2019 DEADLINE EXTENDED!

To apply click here and download a PDF or MSWord Document

Funded by 1499 Queen St West, Toronto.

Encouraging Voice, Empowering the Unheard

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION – Write Around Mississauga Program

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with The Toronto Writers Collective to facilitate a writing workshop as part of the TWC’s creative writing workshops. We provide creative writing workshops throughout the GTA to vulnerable communities. By creating a community of writers from all economic backgrounds, races, ages and sexual orientations, we encourage people to gain confidence and a stronger sense of self, find and expand their voices and discover the value of their own stories.

Volunteer workshop facilitators are required to participate in our extensive training and support program. This program includes: 1) a full weekend of training; 2) attending meetings of workshop facilitators; and 3) regular correspondence with the Program Manager and the Write Around Mississauga program Lead, Graduating facilitators will work with experienced facilitators and co-facilitate at workshops shortly after their training is completed.

Workshops are held for 1 ½ – 2 hours per week at locations throughout Mississauga.

Our next training session will be scheduled for end of September /early October (location to be confirmed). The training is a full weekend: Friday from 7 to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 PM.

Space is limited, so not everyone who applies to volunteer will be accepted. Preference will be given to those with:
1. Availability to facilitate
2. Experience in writing groups of some sort;
3. A history of community involvement;
4. Ties to the community they propose to serve;
5. Facilitation, leadership or teaching experience; and,
6. a commitment to and understanding of TWC’s philosophy of creating a respectful and positive environment where people can write and share their stories.

Please answer each of the questions on the following pages as fully and concisely as possible. Feel free to attach additional sheets of paper as necessary. MSWord APPLICATION

Thanks again for your interest.

Encouraging Voice, Empowering the Unheard

The TWC is pleased to announce that it is expanding to MISSISSAUGA/BRAMPTON/CALEDON. We are looking for volunteers to be trained as workshop facilitators for Write Around Mississauga.

A wonderful and enriching opportunity awaits you by joining our volunteer community, which provides the important work of finding and encouraging voice in others – and yourself.

The TWC inspires and empowers vulnerable and equity-seeking individuals through expressive writing workshops. Our goal is to use our unique model and training, to empower them to create strong and dignified identities. By writing and sharing stories in a safe and inclusive environment, writers realize the power of their words, often for the first time. We believe that everyone has a unique and creative voice and support the transformational power of being heard.

With support from the Hazel McCallion Fund for Arts, Culture and Heritage at the Community Foundation of Mississauga, the Write Around Mississauga program will develop links to organizations who share our goals and train facilitators to provide equitable access to a resource that reflects the cultures and creativity that is hidden in our diverse communities.

Volunteer facilitators are the core of our organization. We provide free writing workshops in shelters, community centres and social service agencies across the city. Partner organizations serve a diverse clientele, including the homeless and underhoused, the 2SLGBTQQIA, Indigenous and immigrant communities, youth, and women at risk. Mental health issues, poverty and recovery from addiction can be found in all groups.

Facilitators provide workshop prompts (poems, quotes, exercises) to inspire creativity. There is no hierarchy. Facilitators write and share their stories with other participants. Feedback is positive and supportive.

The TWC devotes significant resources to training our volunteers, and the program is comprehensive.

All participants must attend the full 2 1/2-days of training and commit to facilitating one ten-week session within the following year, although we hope the experience is so enriching that you will continue.

This program includes: 1) a full weekend of training; 2) attending meetings of workshop facilitators; and 3) regular correspondence with the Program Manager. Graduating facilitators will work with experienced facilitators and co-facilitate at workshops shortly after their training is completed. Workshops are for 1½ – 2 hours per week at host locations. We provide ongoing support and supervision to ensure that the workshop experience is positive and successful for all writers, facilitators and agency partners.

We look forward to welcoming you as one of our valued Write Around Mississauga facilitators. To find out more about participating in the Write Around Mississauga program, become a TWC facilitator or sponsoring organization contact Susan Ksiezopolski: [email protected]

Untitled
By: P. S. Wilcox

Universities, colleges, public and private education.
We know, as they say, to learn as they dictate,
leaving the minority of free thinkers with a failing grade.
Is the message, the medium we strive for, or is there
some old lesson we have forgotten in the process itself?
Is our knowledge finite with only one answer, or is the lesson
of how we learn more important?
We do we fail the youth with rigorous control?
Let us think like the eagle, who soars as it wishes.
Inspire the youth to see what others have failed to see.
Burst open the box of education so the trained teachers
can learn lessons from their youth.
What fear the establishment has of the knowledge that
an open heart can bring.

Untitled
By: My-Ha

My education not as good as my brain. I been hurt and in pain. Now I am homeless. Lived in a 24-7 place. Nothing to do, eat, shit, and sleep. I cried and cried in my bed. Staff was okay. What you want, what you need they say, helping if I needed help while I lived here. Some other homeless there too, a few of them were okay to talk with, some of them, oh my gosh, very rude. I don’t talk I don’t argue I am nice and friendly with some, getting along somehow. My housing counsellors and staff workers talked to each other, and for a few months they taught me to muddle with some kind of medicine. I learn what they teach, then suddenly one day, two other homeless women like me come in and good lord they very rude with staff. I don’t know why staff is scared of these women. I can’t sleep at night, I am sick. I walked downstairs quietly, the staff guard at night was snoring too loud. I stayed on the sofa next to the staff sleeping there, and waited while she wakes up. I close my eyes for a bit then the two rude homeless women wanting something needing something can’t find the night worker. They saw the guard staff snoring, then pushing and yelling at them, they said they will report the guard, and kicked the guard who did not do her job well, lying asleep. It was three o’clock in the morning. For about 10-15 minutes the two women and then the staff asked me why don’t you go to bed, My-Ha. I say I am sick I think I catch a cold, coming down see if you have Tylenol. I see you quiet and don’t want to make noise, wake you up, I lie down here a while ago.

The staff said sorry, next time if you need something if you can’t sleep or you need to talk come down and talk to me, we talk.

So far so good, I have not cried much, have some staff here who are nice, and they know I understand cooking Chinese and Vietnamese and they liked my cooking. Staff is taking us group shopping, taking us to Value Village to buy cheap not expensive clothes and doing different activities. My counsellor takes me to a lawyer office looking for pro bono, looking for help. Think I’m going to get help, things getting smooth again. Good things and I am happy, but not for long. Suddenly one day some other young homeless girl come and take my clothes out of the wash machine and put her clothes in. I tell staff, however staff scared of her and told me I am sorry, let her do it and when she does, you put yours back please. Because staff scared to lose their job. I do what staff say. Forget and forgive.

I have moved on to another shelter. I am not dumb, I am just nice and kind with people, and help people.  That is why people like me, others jealous. Three women like me, trapped me, shaped me and failed me because I am too kind, too easy to get hurt. Well what, I still starve.