Join the Conversation: Community Ties with The ArQuives

{The Calgary Gay History Project is pleased to promote the ArQuives’ Community Ties: Our Future Together conversation in Calgary on Thursday, March 6th!}

The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives is gearing up for an exciting new chapter and we want you to be part of it! We are starting a national conversation about how The ArQuives can best serve communities across Canada over the next 50 years. In February and March, we are hosting intimate, in-person gatherings in 12 cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Saskatoon, St. John’s, Vancouver, Whitehorse, Winnipeg, and Yellowknife. Bilingual facilitators will conduct sessions in Ottawa, Montreal, and Fredericton to serve Francophone participants in those cities. If you prefer a one-on-one conversation in French, please let us know and we will arrange that with you directly.

In each city, we’re gathering 15 LGBTQ2+ community members to share challenges, hopes and dreams related to how we Keep Our Stories Alive. There will be a short presentation and friendly facilitation by The ArQuives, and there will be an opportunity to participate in collaborating to make a zine that captures what makes your community great! Snacks and drinks will be provided.

While we’re in your city, we especially want to reach out to and meet:

LGBTQ2+ community members who already are or might be interested in our programming;
researchers, academics, and media who already or might use The ArQuives’ collections in their work; and
partner organizations, including libraries, archives, museums, arts and heritage organizations, cultural institutions, and other LGBTQ2+ organizations.

We have developed an RSVP form for potential participants with a brief questionnaire designed to help us prepare for each session. Please share this link with others in your community, especially those from historically marginalized communities.

The ArQuives values diversity and is committed to addressing historical inequities within our organization. We would love to hear from LGBTQ2+ communities that have been systematically marginalized, including those who are Indigenous, women, trans, nonbinary, gender non-conforming, Black, people of colour, newcomers, and persons with disabilities. We’re hoping to have a wide range of conversations, including young adults and older members of our communities.

There is limited space, and honoraria are available for community members for whom attending is not part of their professional duties. If you cannot attend in person, there will be other ways to participate, including a national survey.

Thanks for your assistance and collaboration! Your insights will be crucial in building a stronger, more connected future for The ArQuives and the communities we serve.

If you have any questions or want to chat more about the project, please reach out to Nico Mara-McKay at projectcoordinator@arquives.ca.