Community-Based Research Centre

Earlier in the year, LET’S co-hosted arts-based talking circles and workshops with Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) for 2SLGBTQIA+ survivors of gender-based violence in the Fraser Health region. Those sessions brought participants together in safer, facilitated spaces to explore definitions of gender-based violence, share experiences of resistance, and imagine how services could better support their communities. Co-facilitated by a queer and trans team including an art therapist, researchers, community workers, and activists, the circles used art-making as a way to process experiences, build connection, and foster healing.

This work continued with an art exhibit at the Sun Wah Centre from March 23–29, where participants who chose to share their art were able to see it displayed as part of a collective story. An opening reception brought together project participants, the project team, and community members to celebrate the work and learn more about the project. The event included food, short remarks, and time to experience the artwork and connect with others.

A closing ceremony was held on March 29 and invited project participants, research team members, and community advisors to gather, reflect on what has been created, and mark the end of this phase of the project together. There was lunch, discussion, and a collective closing, and participants were able to take home any of their artwork they wish to keep. This continuation of the project honours survivors’ creativity, leadership, and knowledge, and reinforces that research can be a space for community care, not just data collection.