The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anisininew, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, R3T 2N2
The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture (CCWOC) at the University of Manitoba is a hub for creativity and a place to learn about and celebrate the transformative potential of creative writing and storytelling. CCWOC provides support for established and emerging storytellers and writers within and beyond the university community, aiming to empower people from diverse backgrounds to develop skills and create stories.
The Writer/Storyteller-in-Residence program brings together established and emerging writers and storytellers, offering workshops, one-on-one consultations and public events. The program, which has been running for over 15 years, is open to UM students, staff and alumni as well as to the wider community.
Kevin Settee is an Anishinaabe/Cree community filmmaker based in Winnipeg. He recently made four films about the lives and cultures of Indigenous people and communities around Lake Winnipeg, which is available through the National Film Board. He is working on his first feature documentary, which highlights the injustices of carceral conservationism in the Saskatchewan River Delta.
Kevin can be reached at ccwocwir@umanitoba.ca.
CCWOC welcomed Kevin Settee to the University of Manitoba at an in-person event on September 19th.
Kevin’s workshops are geared toward emerging writers and filmmakers who are interested in community-based filmmaking and Indigenous storytelling. Over the course of 6 sessions, participants will learn the basics of documentary writing and storytelling through guided reading and writing sessions, drawing from Kevin’s experiences of documentary storytelling, community organizing, ceremony and cultural practices. Participants will explore their own social locations and principles of Indigenous and community-based storytelling with a goal of completing a short group documentary. Participants will also learn from guest speakers from Camp Morningstar, and receive training on how to access and use the U of M Archives and their databases for documentary projects.
Registration has reached maximum capacity and is now closed.
Documentary writing and storytelling
October 24, October 31, November 7, November 14, November 21, November 28.
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 residencies until October 30, 2024.
A professional writer and/or storyteller is sought for the position of Writer/Storyteller-in-Residence at UM’s Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture. The three-month residencies, taking place in the fall or winter, require the successful candidate to spend approximately 16 hours per week providing mentorship and practical artistic advice to developing writers and storytellers at UM, give a limited number of readings and/or performances on campus and lead an informal non-credit workshop. The remaining time is devoted to the writer or storyteller’s own artistic projects. The successful candidate will receive a salary of $15,000.00 CAD (subject to all mandatory deductions) plus rent-free accommodation and transportation to and from Winnipeg.
CCWOC is an interdisciplinary Centre with a mandate to promote the creation and the study of the verbal arts, both oral and written. Located at the University of Manitoba in the city of Winnipeg, the Centre sponsors readings, lectures, master classes and creative community projects that explore the connections between oral and written culture.
Winnipeg is renowned for its vibrant arts community and its multicultural citizenry, including the largest urban population of Indigenous people in North America. The centre builds upon these local cultural strengths as a basis for its creative and critical work.
Applications should include a cover letter summarizing the applicant’s qualifications for the position and describing the artistic and mentoring work they would undertake during the residency. Applications must also include:
Candidates of all nationalities are encouraged to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian applicants. Full proficiency in English is required and publications or performance credits in English would be an asset. The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture is committed to principles of employment equity.
Please submit your application to ccwoc@umanitoba.ca. Attachments must be in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Hard copies of materials will not be accepted.
Diversity and immigration statement
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse sexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
FIPPA Statement
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.
Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe is a settler scholar in the Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Department of History, in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba. She studies histories and legacies of colonialism and environmental injustice, as well as the creative ways that people work toward a more just world. She has been the Director of the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture since 2021.
Dr. Warren Cariou
English, Theatre, Film & Media
Dr. Lindsay Diehl
English, Theatre, Film & Media
Dr. Adele Perry
History
Dr. Nancy Kang
Women's and Gender Studies
With contributions from the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative, the C.D. Howe Foundation has established a fund at UM in support of the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture. Two fellowships, valued at approximately $10,000.00 each, will be offered to successful candidates (the amount is based on the average of the last five years and is subject to change).
We offer fellowships to graduate students who:
Candidates are asked to submit an application consisting of:
Candidates will be assessed as follows: record of academic achievement (30 per cent), plan of research (40 per cent), letters of reference (30 per cent).
The award is not automatically renewable but previous recipients may apply. Recipients may hold the C.D. Howe Memorial Foundation Fellowships in Creative Writing and Oral Culture concurrently with other awards, consistent with the policies of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Please send your application or any questions to Mary Elliott, Coordinator at CCWOC@umanitoba.ca. Deadline for applications is June 1, 2023.
Natalie LoVetri, Masters' student in English, Theatre, Film & Media
LoVetri holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design (BEnvD) and a BA in English with a minor in Philosophy from UM. Her interests encompass both creative writing and literary analysis, particularly modernist fiction, narrative poetry, short stories and fragments. Her creative thesis explores the psychological impacts of mental illness, instability and traumatic loss in the context of familial relationships. Her work delves into ideas of identity, personal narrative and social constructions of the self. In addition to her academic pursuits, LoVetri works as a writing tutor with the Academic Learning Centre. She is a mother, marathoner, creative writer and painter.
Sehar Mushtaq, Ph.D. student in Peace and Conflict Studies
Mushtaq's research explores Indigenous processes of peacemaking and peacebuilding amongst the Kalash people of Pakistan. Through her research, she analyzes oral laws and codes that govern and guide behaviours concerning the expression and resolution of conflicts in the Kalash community.
2021-2022
Natalie LoVetri, Masters' student in English, Theatre, Film & Media
Sehar Mushtaq, Ph.D. student in Peace and Conflict Studies
2020-2021
Antony Zang, Masters' student in English, Theatre, Film & Media
Sehar Mushtaq, Ph.D. student in Peace and Conflict Studies
2019-2020
Micheline Hughes, Ph.D. student in Native Studies
Virginia Page Jahne, Masters' students in English, Theatre, Film & Media
2018-2019
Michelle Lietz, Ph.D. student in English literature
Dominique Reynolds, Masters' student in French
2017-2018
Melanie Braith, Ph.D. student in English
Nick Kosmenko, Ph.D. student in Applied Health Sciences
2016-2017
Micheline Hughes, Ph.D. student in Native Studies
Allison Penner, Masters' student in History
2015-2016
Damien Lee, Masters' student in Native Studies
Susie Fisher, Masters' student in History
2014-2015
Kirsty Cameron, Masters' student in English
Micheal Minor, Ph.D. student in English, Film & Theatre
2013-2014
Lydia Schoeppner, Ph.D. student in Peace and Conflict Studies
Daniel Guezen, Masters' student in French, Spanish and Italian
2012-2013
Ryan Duplassie, Ph.D. student in Native Studies
Agnieszka (Agnes) Pawlowska, Ph.D. student in Native Studies
2011-2012
Alon D. Weinberg, Masters' student in Native Studies
2010-2011
Sean Braun, Masters' student in English, Film & Theatre
Daria Patrie, Masters' student in English, Film & Theatre
2009-2010
Gordon Blackburde, Masters' student in Native Studies
Susan Rich, Masters' student in English
The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture is proud to support Manitoba writers as the sponsor of the Manitowapow Award through the Manitoba Book Awards.
The award is presented every two years to two Indigenous writers or oral performers who demonstrate excellence in writing, storytelling or spoken word and who also actively support Indigenous verbal arts in Manitoba.
CCWOC gratefully accepts donations from individuals, corporations and other organizations which help support its vision, goals and objectives. Donors will receive a receipt for income tax purposes.
In the "Direct my gift to" field, choose "Enter a fund name". In the "Enter a fund name" field, type "Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture".
For more information on making a donation to CCWOC, please contact donor.relations@umanitoba.ca
Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe
Director
jocelyn.thorpe@umanitoba.ca
Farnaz Mogharehabed
Coordinator
Farnaz.Mogharehabed@umanitoba.ca
The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB Canada
