Jun 15: Maarte Maldita Maganda Calligraphy Workshop
Workshop Objective and Outcome
The goal of this workshop is to provide a creative and supportive environment where participants can explore the art of brush calligraphy while addressing the impact of painful and derogatory words within Filipino culture. The workshop is meant to create a space for empowerment and collective storytelling. Through this unique approach, participants will engage in a safe space that:
1. Fosters Healing: Encourage participants to unpack the emotional wounds associated with hurtful words and experiences in Filipino culture, while understanding the integral role of intergenerational harm, colonization, and internalized oppression in our individual and collective trauma.
3. Promotes Self-Worth: Empower and support participants in reframing their self-perception, understanding of community care, and practising language reclamation to help build a stronger sense of self-worth.
4. Cultivates Inner Play: Use calligraphy and art as tools for self-expression and exploration, fostering growth, mindfulness, and personal reflections.
Workshop Agenda
1. Brush Calligraphy Instruction: Participants will receive hands-on instruction in brush calligraphy, learning foundational techniques and styles. Each participant will receive a brush pen and a 10-page calligraphy workbook authored by Pinya Letters.
2. Healing Circle: Facilitated discussions will safely encourage participants to share their experiences with derogatory Filipino words, providing a platform for deeper understanding of the impact of language on self-worth, while practicing creative healing. In this section, we will also unpack how intergenerational trauma impacts our experiences as Filipinos, the role of colonialism in our self-perception and identity, and the origins of certain derogatory words in Filipino culture.
3. Reclamation of Words: Armed with a new-found skill in brush calligraphy and a nuanced understanding of derogatory words in Filipino culture, students will be given time to creatively reclaim Filipino pejorative words by practicing brush calligraphy using words participants have reflected on in this workshop. Imagine words like bruha, maarte, and walang hiya transformed into beautiful calligraphy pieces, creating an empowering end to this transformative space.
What’s provided in this experience?
All materials, including pens and worksheets
Hands-on tutorial and basic foundations of brush calligraphy
Hosted by Pinay Collection in partnership with TAYO Canada
Pinay Collection is a feminist clothing line dedicated to embracing the power of Filipino words and reclaiming those used hurtfully in our culture. Through our designs, we boldly showcase words like 'maarte,' 'walang hiya,' and 'bruha,' as we aim to take back words used to put down Pinays. Our designs, workshop experiences, and merch are key components of our work as a social enterprise. Every product we sell supports liberation movements in the Philippines, contributing to grassroots organizations fighting for the rights of Filipino transport workers, farmers, political prisoners, and the LGBTQIA+ community. Our work has been featured in the Huffington Post, CBC, The Philippine Reporter, and more.
TAYO, an immersive cultural experience, is an outdoor cultural event that celebrates diversity on June 15 & 16 at Mel Lastman Square in Toronto.
Cost: A workshop ticket costs $18 and 25% of all proceeds from this event will be donated to Gabriela Philippines, in support of their Free Our Sisters Free Ourselves Campaign. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please email us at hello@pinaycollection.com should you need to inquire about pricing.