The Shoe Project Vancouver spotlights stories of immigration and adaptation
An inspirational storytelling showcase about immigration and resilience is happening next month on Granville Island.
The Shoe Project returns to Vancouver on March 5 and 6 at Arts Club Theatre’s Granville Island Stage, with 12 women sharing their journeys of immigrating to Canada and adapting to their new country.
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According to the project’s website, shoes are a powerful metaphor for an immigrant’s journey and are the perfect storytelling lens.
“The Shoe Project reveals how footwear – whether selected by choice or imposed in difficult circumstances – can make or break a journey, shape the present and open the door to a new future. Shoes can be terrible or wonderful, but one thing is certain, every new Canadian has a shoe tale to tell.”
Shanga Karim, Local Coordinator and an alumna of The Shoe Project, adds that the women’s stories are inspiring and powerful.
“The courage they demonstrate in overcoming obstacles to creating new lives is particularly relevant in the context of the challenges we have all faced in the last two years of a global pandemic,” said Karim in a release.
The Shoe Project Vancouver storytellers/theshoeproject.online
Vancouver storytellers on the Granville Island Stage next month are from Russia, Bangladesh, Israel, Brazil, China, Syria, India, Eritrea, Kurdistan-Iran, and Kenya. Each has taken part in a 10-week workshop that included instruction in writing by author Caroline Adderson and voice coaching by Tara Cheyenne Friedberg and Alana Hawley Purvis.
“After a year of online presentations, it is wonderful to be able to return to showcasing immigrant and refugee women’s stories to a live audience with a brand-new cast and a set of powerful stories reflecting these challenging times,” said Katherine Govier, best-selling author and founder of The Shoe Project in a statement. “Shoes accompany us on all our journeys. They say who we are, where we came from, and where we are going.”
The Shoe Project was founded by Govier in 2011 at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Over the past 11 years, it has shared over 300 stories in over 30 performances featuring immigrant women from over 60 countries around the world.
The registered charity provides training to immigrant and refugee women to help develop their writing, speaking skills, and leadership skills. The Shoe Project also strives to educate the public on problems facing immigrant and refugee women in Canada.
Additional stories from The Shoe Project can be found online.
The Shoe Project Vancouver
When: March 5 and 6, 2022
Time: 7 pm (Saturday), 2 pm (Sunday)
Where: Granville Island Stage – 1585 Johnson Street, Vancouver
Cost: $20.95, purchase online
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