The Khyber Centre for the Arts
1880 Hollis St. B3J 1W6 Halifax, NS, Canada

Shared via David Woods of BAANS

As a racialized, neurodivergent woman with CPTSD (chronic post traumatic stress disorder), writing (along with reading) has been one of my main tools for processing & dealing with trauma &/or life in general. I write every morning, I write when I can't figure something out. I write (& share) aspects of myself that I once carried in secrecy which I still find surreal & magical & healing. ' : 1. Some of the journals I have filled up with my words/feeli...ngs 2. Existing with mental illness isn’t easy but I refuse to be shamed or allow anyone to stigmatize those who share similar realities 3. Ditto being neurodivergent 4. Collage of me performing at one of my last, in-person, pre-pandemic shows 5. Excerpt of my poem Autocorrect, which I wrote to explain why I poem about the things I poem about -@armyofyum ID 1: A photo of two black cloth boxes filled entirely with journals of various colors, sizes and bindings. ID 2: An image that reads I live with multiple mental illnesses and disorders #EndTheStigma #1in5 #YouAreNotAlone in white text, ontop of a dark galaxy pattern background. ID 3: An image that reads I am not neurotypical and that’s okay. #EndTheStigma #1in5 #YouAreNotAlone over a red, yellow to green ombre background. ID 4: A collage of 3 photos of Deirdre performing, wearing black overalls, beaded earrings and a red hat. On the left image, she stands with her drum at a mic. In the 2 images on the right, she is looking into the crowd and standing behind a microphone. ID 5: An image with text from Deirdre’s poem titled ‘Autocorrect A Lot’ that reads My poetry is a safety valve. My poetry prevents me from punching people/ Who misgender my pals/ Who try to touch our hair/ Who ask invasive questions, or invade our space, or just stare/ My poetry is armour that I don/ A sturdy wordy carapace of psychic insulation/ My poetry is celebration that I still exist.

We are thrilled to be offering this incredible virtual workshop facilitated by Richard Simon Nevin Taylor, with support from South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre on April 16th from 6-8PM over Zoom. Find details on this workshop, how to register, accessibility notes and more at the attached link!

Hey Halifax Youth! How does fashion effect your understanding of gender? We want to hear from you! https://forms.gle/MY8hnMgiTGH8Thmz9