What is the initiative?
Unseen City brings people together through storytelling and public film screenings. It also embeds lived-experience stories into education for human-service professionals.
What is your connection to your chosen community?
I grew up experiencing poverty and have been contributing back to the community through various frontline roles, including as an outreach worker and emergency shelter staff. I have been holding the Pop-Up Care Village in Calgary for the last four years – a dedicated, dignity focused, arts and culture event that serves people experiencing social exclusion, and I co-founded a social enterprise dedicated to hiring people experiencing systemic barriers to employment. Furthermore, through my schooling in nursing, my focus has been on serving the vulnerable population and their health needs. Through my lived experience and frontline knowledge, I am closely connected to this community.
What are you looking forward to this year?
I am looking forward to meeting like-minded peers, having access to tailored, structured learnings during FCC. I am also very much looking forward to having a year for me to focus on this initiative, bringing my deep passion for the art and storytelling space and connecting them to the community I’ve been so closely involved in. I think it will be an amazing experience and I can’t wait!