#STANDUPWOME2020

A celebration in support of immigrant women leadership.

The October 1, 2020, celebration marks a milestone for the immigrant women who graduated from the inaugural Sister2Sister six-month training program launched Fall 2019 at Newcomer Women Services. As part of the program, some of the sisters participated in creating a forum-theatre production with Mixed Company Theatre. Forum theatre engages the audience in identifying solutions to themes of social justice or oppression explored in the production. Our goal for #STANDUPWOMAN2020 is to honour the graduates and to raise funds to support the Sister2Sister program and the work of Mixed Company Theatre.

“Being in a forum theatre production is fantastic. Knowing that we might change one person’s mind for the better is priceless.”

- S I S T E R 2 S I S T E R G R A D U A T E + P E R F O R M E R

The Opportunity

  1. Celebrate the graduates of the Sister2Sister immigrant women leadership program.

  2. Speak up and try out strategies for social change through our Forum Theatre presentation “Ending the Silence.”

  3. Get inspired by the keynote address from Gina Cody. Gina is an immigrant Iranian woman who was the first woman in Concordia University’s history to earn a PhD in Building Engineering. Following her donation of $15 million, Concordia University renamed its Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science to the “Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science,” the first University engineering faculty in the world to be named after a woman.

  4. Win raffle prizes!

What is Forum Theatre?

Forum Theatre tells the universal story of oppression or conflict faced by a community. It then invites the community audience to step on to the stage to develop alternative or positive outcomes to the issue, thereby catalyzing discussion, dialogue and action.

In the summer of 2020, MCT and graduates of NEW’s Sister2Sister leadership program presented “Ending the Silence.” The virtual performance, which was funded the Catherine Donnelly Foundation, explored patriarchy, power and emancipation.

Sister2Sister gave me courage, confidence and resilience as an immigrant to stand-up for myself. It give me the knowledge and tools to achieve my goal. It was truly a life-changing experience.

- S I S T E R 2 S I S T E R G R A D U A T E + P E R F O R M E R