Where to from here? The existing writers’ circle can’t accommodate new members. Is there a need for more spaces where Chemainus Valley and region writers can get together and share?
CVCAS PROMOTES LITERATURE & COLLABORATION Writer Craig Spence and artist Diana Durrand are collaborating on a children’s novel, Flibber T. Gibbett and have posted a story-within-the-story about The Squirrel & The Owl, which draws together collaborative elements using: creative writing, art, photography, video and audio production. You can read, view and listen to the story on CVCAS.ca.
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he Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society has taken first steps on two related initiatives recently, encouraging Literature and Collaboration in the arts. A Writers Forum was established last spring, and efforts are being made to promote ‘creative synergy’ between art forms. What have we achieved and what are some next steps we can take, heading into 2022? A Writers’ Circle, part of the Forum, has been meeting monthly – on Zoom until recently, when it convened a hybrid Zoom-In Person format, observing COVID protocols. Nine authors and poets in all genres have found this to be a comfortable space where they can share their work and get supportive feedback from fellow writers. You may have noticed our monthly Valley Voices series, published through a partnership
with The Cowichan Valley Voice Magazine. Providing authors and poets with places they can see their literature published is a key objective of our literary initiative, and the Valley Voices series has been an encouraging step in that direction. Opportunities for collaboration are also being pursued. Periodic ‘Interludes’ posted to CVCAS. ca are sharing the diversity of arts activity in the Chemainus Valley and region, highlighting the potential for collaboration between dancers and musicians; poets and artists; writers and dramatists. Direct approaches have also been made to artists, encouraging collaborations. Although these have not resulted in multidiscipline projects to date, there is support for the concept amongst people who have been approached, so there’s reason to believe continued efforts will be successful.
Are there other groups in the region we can reach out to? Valley Voices has published some writers, but what other venues can we develop to share the works of authors and poets at every stage of their development? As for collaborations, can the CVCAS develop a space on its website where artists in all disciplines, who want to collaborate, can register their interest and describe the types of collaborations they would be like to participate in? These are stimulating questions! But realizing the potential of community-based Literature and creative Collaborations will take vision and commitment. If you are excited by the possibilities, please visit the Literature and Collaboration links under the Arts main menu item on CVCAS.ca and contact craig-spence@ shaw.ca.
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