QWF’s Writers in the Community program pairs small groups of young people with a professional writer or literary performance artist who can teach them and, more importantly, motivate them, to use language to express themselves in productive ways. In each project, a writer-facilitator works with a small group for 10 weeks, teaching them language tools, giving them writing prompts, and ultimately, boosting their self-confidence by showing them that they are capable of producing literary work of value.
Recent projects
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Meet the writer-facilitators
Marie Barlizo
Marie Barlizo is a Montreal-based Filipino-Chinese playwright, screenwriter, producer, dramaturg, and mom of two. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing (TV) from UBC and is the first BIPOC to graduate from the National Theatre School’s Playwriting Program. She’s an instructor and playwriting mentor at NTS and NTS’ Public Courses, mentor at Imago Theatre’s Nested Circles (2024-25), recipient of the 2022 Bernard Amyot Teaching Award at National Theatre School and winner of the 2022 Jovette Marchessault award for Playwriting. Select Credits: residency at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (2022-2025); residency at Native Earth Performing Arts (2024); residency at Performance Laboratory, Inc (Philippines, 2024); residency at Boca del Lupo (2023); Lucky excerpt published in Canadian Theatre Review (193), 2023; Lucky production at 2022 rEvolver Festival; The Little Mighty Superhero, Geordie Theatre 20-21 2Play Tour
Participants responded well to creative writing and used my prompts to write about their personal experiences. They turned to subjects they were familiar with (abuse, drugs, relationships) and writing became a therapeutic means of release. While they were more comfortable in expressing darker emotions, I urged them to explore a range of affects and to think about how to express positive moments as well. Their journaling outside of workshops was also a clear indication that they were using language (creatively or as a method of documenting).
writer-facilitator
Program sponsors
We would also like to express our gratitude to the following sponsors, without whom the Writers in the Community program would not be possible
