The “Impact of Art as a Form of Cultural Exchange for Newcomers in B.C.’s Settlement Sector” AMSSATalk was held live in AMSSA’s office on January 29th, 2025 and featured a conversation between several newcomer artists, a staff member from a service provider organization (SPO) with an arts program for newcomers, and an art curator who works with newcomer artists.
The live session begins with all panelists introducing their work individually, before taking part in the panel portion of the event to discuss various aspects of how art can benefit newcomers in expressing themselves concerning their settlement journeys. During this period, featured artists shared their respective experiences of using art to tell their stories and facilitate cultural exchange, while Walid Azizi focused on the benefits of art within Impact North Shore’s work to engage newcomer youth with art in the “Expressions” program.
The panelists held a substantial conversation about the relationships newcomers can have with their art during the settlement process and the ways in which service provider organizations can engage their newcomer clients with art.
This event featured the following participants:
- Taslim Samji is an internationally acclaimed, multi-disciplinary Canadian artist, curator, cultural leader, spoken word poet, and published author. She is renowned for curating thought-provoking exhibitions that highlight the stories of immigrants and the work of marginalized artists. Taslim was both the moderator of this panel and a
- Adriana Contreras is an interdisciplinary artist and bilingual graphic recorder and illustrator. Originally born in Bogotá, Colombia, Adriana’s migration journey profoundly informs her work and commitment to social justice at a local and global level. Adriana has notably worked with AMSSA to create graphic recordings of some of our summits and meetings.
- Taraneh Mousavi is an Iranian vocalist, composer, and artist recognized for her unique blend of Iranian folk music, alternative jazz, and evocative poetry. Taraneh’s work explores profound themes of identity, belonging, and transformation.
- Walid Azizi is a Youth Equity Worker with SWIS (Settlement Workers in Schools) program at Impact North Shore who worked on the organization’s “Expressions: Empowering Newcomer Youth Through Art” program.
- Additionally, the event featured a pre-recorded portion presenting several pieces of art in AMSSA’s office and included an interview with one of the pieces’ painters, Hasan Al-Saleh. Born in the historic city of Damascus, Hasan has long found passion in creating art, including drawing ancient monuments that tell stories from history and scenes from nature. Hasan was not part of the live portions of the event.
The live session begins with all panelists introducing their work individually, before taking part in the panel portion of the event to discuss various aspects of how art can benefit newcomers in expressing themselves concerning their settlement journeys. During this period, featured artists shared their respective experiences of using art to tell their stories and facilitate cultural exchange, while Walid Azizi focused on the benefits of art within Impact North Shore’s work to engage newcomer youth with art in the “Expressions” program.
