About this Event
Over four weeks in March and April, Massy Arts, Phebe M. Ferrer and Steffi Tad-y will host a series of four poetry workshops titled “Pamana: Exploring Family Histories.” Through this series, we will invite poets and writers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) to write and engage with poetry on the topic of family histories.
“Pamana” is a Tagalog word meaning inheritance or legacy. In this spirit, we invite participants to ponder on the stories passed down about our ancestors, and consider the stories that may be told about us when we become ancestors ourselves. Writers of all levels are welcome to register and participate.
This series is free to participate in but spaces are limited. Please register for each session you are interested in individually — attendance is not required at all sessions. You may sign up for only 1 , 2, 3 or all 4, it's up to you!
We will engage participants with prompts focused on the following themes and questions:
- Week 1 (Sat. March 9, 3-5pm): “Past” - What questions do you want to ask your family? What stories do you want to learn about?
- Week 2 (Sat. March 16, 3-5pm): “Present” - What stories have been passed down to you? What would you like to pass down to others?
- Week 3 (Sat. March 23, 3-5pm): “Future” - If our descendants will write about us, what will they write about?
- Week 4 (Sat. April 6, 3-5pm): “Reflections” - What metaphors do you associate with your family?
In each workshop, participants will be invited to read poems by BIPOC writers about family histories, engage in discussion about the poems and arising themes, and write their own poems in response to these texts. Each workshop is intended to build on one another, to invite participants to think about stories told within their families, how these stories have been passed down, and what stories they would like to pass down themselves.
We have two objectives with this workshop series. The first is to foster a space for BIPOC artists to gather and explore family stories by reading the works of celebrated authors such as Noor Hindi, Leanne Simpson, and Billy Ray Belcourt. The second is to provide a platform for BIPOC artists, especially those who are new in their craft, to feature and publish their work through a participant showcase at the final workshop and a zine compilation of participants’ poems.
About the facilitators:
Steffi Tad-y is the author of the poetry collection "From the Shoreline” (2022). Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, she is the author of two chapbooks, “I Did Not Want to Be Read” from Frog Hollow Press (2019) & “Merienda” from Rahila’s Ghost Press (2021). Steffi’s work often reflects on kinship, diasporic geographies, and formations of the mind.
phebe m. ferrer is a filipina poet living in vancouver, on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations. Through her poetry, she strives to honour the joy and sadness that coexist in stories of migration. Her words have appeared in Qwerty Magazine, Marias at Sampaguitas, Chinatown Stories, and Ihayag. She has also edited creative anthologies with Chinatown Today and decomp journal. Her growing collection of work can be found at
All iterations of the workshop will be hosted at the Massy Arts Gallery, at 23 East Pender Street in Chinatown, Vancouver. We are located in the former MING WO building.
Registration is free and required for entrance.
The gallery is wheelchair accessible and a gender-neutral washroom is on-site.
Please refrain from wearing scents or heavy perfumes.
For more on accessibility including parking, seating, venue measurements and floor plan, and how to request ASL interpretation please visit: massyarts.com/accessibility
Covid Protocols: Masks keep our community safe and are mandatory (N95 masks are recommended as they offer the best protection). We ask if you are showing symptoms, that you stay home. Thank you kindly.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Massy Arts Society, 23 East Pender Street, Vancouver, Canada
CAD 0.00