Access Alliance Arts for Family Health
Having agency over our stories: Making art from memory
In October 2023, Access Alliance’s Women’s Settlement Support Group partnered with the Textile Museum of Canada to create a space where newcomer women could explore their stories through art, memory, and community. As part of this collaboration, participants from a closed support group were welcomed into the museum for a guided tour of its global textile collection—an experience that sparked reflection, recognition, and creative inspiration.
Following the tour, participants took part in a multi-week Community Makers program facilitated by multidisciplinary artist Destinie Adélakun. The workshops explored themes of wellness by building confidence, strengthening community connections, and practicing self-love through hands-on textile art.
Destinie began the first session by sharing her own newcomer journey, being born in Lagos, Nigeria, raised in Nagpur, India, and later immigrating to Canada. Her story set the tone for openness and mutual understanding. The women, all newcomers themselves, were invited to share their own experiences of migration.
Drawing inspiration from her mother, Destinie introduced participants to traditional Indian wood block printing. By the end of the session, each woman had created a uniquely block-printed scarf, an artistic expression rooted in personal memory and cultural exchange. Subsequent sessions focused on beading and embroidery techniques, allowing participants to further develop their skills while engaging in meaningful conversation and collective learning.
In the final workshop, participants created quilt squares that now form part of the Square by Square Community Quilt, an ongoing collaborative artwork featured throughout the duration of the exhibition The Secret Codes. Each square represents a story, stitched with care, intention, and agency.
Through Community Makers, participants were empowered to transform memory into art, reclaim authorship over their stories, and find connection through shared creativity. The program was generously supported by the Ruth Mandel WHO Gives Fund and the PGF Directors Charity Fund, helping make this powerful intersection of art, wellness, and community possible.
Textile Museum of Canada https://textilemuseum.ca/
