This past summer, I hosted monthly open mics and creative writing circles at 283 Duke St, under the name KW Creative Circle. With the initial success of these events, I hope to continue to host and expand these events into the fall and winter.

The pandemic weakened the sense of community here in KW. I am taking it upon myself to bring people together once again, hosting a space where the artistically curious can experiment and share. I am quickly finding that I am not alone in craving these communal events. Over the last 3 months, I hosted 3 open mics and 3 creative writing circles in downtown Kitchener, finding those with the similar desire to be in community.

At the creative writing circles, we come together to write. I bring original prompts to a group of writers (and writers-to-be) and we spend some time seeing where these prompts take us in our writing. I received lovely comments from two attendees saying that this circle helped them work past a block or slump they were experiencing in their writing.

At the open mics, we have writers, musicians, dancers, singers, all telling a story through their artistic medium. I am excited to tell you that twice now I have introduced myself to a first-time attendee who was not planning to perform, only for the attendee to become inspired by others and perform their own pieces at the event.

Though the art and writing is the “point” of these events, the inspiration and connections that attendees are making with the art, with each other, and within themselves is truly the “point”.

The open mics are now receiving double-digit attendance. Online interest on meetup and Instagram is steadily increasing. I am outgrowing the humble setup which I currently have, and am requesting funds to maintain attendee comfort, event functionality, and expand outreach for my creative circles. I hope the grant reviewers can see why these events would appreciate financial support and attention.