about how does this work?

How Does This Work? is a project mapping relationship, connection and survival through the dark rushing waters of life from 2020-2022. The first part of the project is new work from 9 collaborators (5 in QC and 4 in NB). Several of the pieces are collaborations between artists in the two provinces. 

The second part of How Does This Work? is a collection of poems by Erin Lindsay and Katie Gorrie.
The poems were written collaboratively over the course of the pandemic using text messages, zoom transcripts, found scraps, etc. as the poets corresponded from their homes in Montreal and St. Stephen, NB. The poems are an exploration of human connection, circling out from the friendship between the poets. We hope this story (just one of the billions of friendships on the planet that sustained life through these challenging years) will help to articulate or honour the connections in your own life that have enabled safe-enough passage. 

Marissa Wiebe, NB-based multidisciplinary artist, was commissioned to make images of topography and waterways between NB and QC. These linocuts anchor the project’s thematic explorations of terrain, expanse, distance, and transformation through correspondence. View Marissa’s process for the illustrations here. 

This project also included a series of creative workshops on communication and correspondence. Thanks to Imago Theatre’s Artista Program and St. Stephen’s University. 

Gurjot Bains, BC-based artist and educator, was commissioned to develop a resource on communication and correspondence for youths 12 and up. This resource is available free of charge. The 1-hour lesson plan is suitable for classroom use, creative writing clubs, homeschooling, or individual use. You can find the resources here, and the slides here.

Immense gratitude is extended to Sheryda Warrener for her thoughtful, razor-sharp guidance and collaboration as poetry mentor on the project. 

These collaborations and poems helped us to process our lives during these hard times. They brought us light, air, joy, solace, growth and companionship.