An afternoon of workshops to develop our ability to identify and express our emotions, to maintain connection with ourselves and others. You'll gain tools for taking care of yourself and listening to our bodies and thoughts in order to better communicate our limits, feelings, and needs. What strategies are available for dealing with difficulties as individuals, friends and lovers?

The workshop animators will be skillsharing some techniques from their artistic and professional practices.

Please bring your pencil + notebook for taking notes and making sketches, old magazines for collage are welcome too!

PROGRAMM :

11am-12pm : Emotions 101 (1h) - Cherrilyn
How to identify/recognize your emotions and what to do with them.
This workshop is a crash course in emotions: what they are and are not, where they come from, why they’re there and what to do with them. Drawing from Dialect Behaviour Therapy, neuro-cognitive science, and Buddhist practice, this workshop seeks to demystify emotions, allowing you to have a better relationship with them. Emotions 101 serves as a foundation for the other workshops in this series.

12pm-1pm: Communication Practices for Solidarity (1h) - Rickie Lea
A reading and analysis of a ‘mindful dialogue’ structure in the NVC style, for expressing your emotions within caring relationships
In this beginner’s workshop we read through and analyse a ‘mindful dialogue structure’ in the collaborative communication-style, (aka NVC). A tool for maintaining connection with oneself and others, especially in caring relationships ♡

1pm-2pm: Lunch Break (Snacks + discussion break for all participants)

2pm-3pm: Fear Inventory (1h) - Priya
A practice for recognizing blockages in the pursuit of a goal
Creating a fear inventory is about addressing blockages in the moment that may be hindering our ability to fulfill a particular goal. With guided instructions, it involves writing out a personal letter; to then be read out aloud to another person, then tearing up the letter after delivery (this part is very important). The practice was originally shared by Carolyn Elliot who also draws on an excellent piece of wisdom from Marianne Williamson: "our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

3pm-4pm: Zines for sharing experiences (40 min) - Mathilde
An activating, expressive workshop informed by the concepts explored in the day’s workshops. Sharing experiences
Creation of a zine (drawing / collage and other) based on the day's discussions. Sharing experiences. Making art with our needs and traumas, coming out of silence. When creation speaks of suffering: presentation of some videos of artists members of La Centrale using their trauma to create.

* Feel free to bring old magazines or other materials for collage

Open to all
(bilingual workshops with active listening available)

10-20 $ sliding scale entry (Snacks will be offered during the break)
(No one turned away, contact us at galerie!@lacentrale.org for more info )

à La Centrale galerie Powerhouse
4296 Blvd. Saint-Laurent
(For more information and accessibility questions, please call La Centrale at 514-871-0268 or write galerie@lacentrale.org)

Cherrilyn Che Birchwood is a PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology. Their clinical work focuses on trauma, stress, emotions, and holistic healing. They also DJ and organise important socio-cultural events, such as Femme Fridays, RISE: a poetry and performance for Black women and femme folk, and Montreal’s first ever Dyke Marches.

lamathilde aka Mathilde Geromin is a video-sound-performance artist. Her work investigates identity through sexuality and gender using low-grade video, super 8, manipulated film footage and stop-motion animation.
www.lamathilde.com

Rickie Lea Owens is an artist and animator who creates electronic art for public consideration of play and power.
www.rickieleaowens.com

Priya is an artist/yogi interested in the process of art + mindfulness practices and their potential as forms of healing. Priya’s main focus throughout their work is about creating accessibility across disciplines, community engagement, mindfulness, and promoting collective care - especially for people who are racialized and for those who struggle with mental health challenges. She is co-founder of h e r e (Healing Each-other Radically Everyday) collective and ACHAAR (an on-going open collaboration addressing the role food plays in triggering and resolving cultural identity crises).
priyazoejain.com / pinkcloudz.tumblr.com