Faculty of Arts

Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture

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.

Three men posing for a picture, the man in the middle is seated. Text: Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.
Headshot of Ariel Gordon wearing glasses standing in between two very close homes.

Workshop

Postcards from the World

Ariel Gordon

Thursday, February 16, 2023
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. CT
111 St. John's College (in-person)

This workshop focuses on what it means to pay attention to the natural world, to stop and force yourself to observe. Participants will read and discuss writing about paying attention to the world and then observe the world for 30 minutes, taking notes. They will then spend time turning those observations into a poem or the beginnings of a story, which they might choose to share with the group. 

Ariel Gordon is a Winnipeg/Treaty 1 territory-based writer, editor, and enthusiast. She is the ringleader of Writes of Spring, a National Poetry Month project with the Winnipeg International Writers Festival that appears in the Winnipeg Free Press. In 2019 Wolsak & Wynn published Treed: Walking in Canada’s Urban Forests, a collection of essays that combines science writing and the personal essay. She was the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture's Writer-In-Residence in Winter 2022.

This workshop is hosted by the UM Institute for the Humanities, Writing Towards a Just World research cluster.

Writer/Storyteller-in-Residence Program

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.

  • Janine Windolph – Winter 2023 Writer-in-Residence

    Janine Windolph (Atikamekw/Woodland Cree) is an oral filmmaker, educator and storyteller who’s currently working at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity as Director of Indigenous Arts. She was formerly the Curator of Community Engagement at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she also worked as a Storykeeper, Education Program Assistant and Curator of Public Programs. Windolph also has experience as a Saskatchewan-based filmmaker in key roles as producer, director, writer and narrator for both a feature film called the Land of Rock and Gold and numerous documentaries over the past 15 years. She has her Master’s of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Indigenous Fine Art and Media Production. Windolph is on the board of Prince of Trust Canada, Regina International Film Festival and Awards and she volunteers for the RIIS Commemorative Association, Inc.  She is known as an educator, fine-craft artist and storyteller and teaches beading, visual arts, photography, filmmaking, writing, storytelling and Indigenous symbols in schools, libraries and non-profits.

Welcome event

CCWOC welcomed Janine Windolph to the University of Manitoba at an event held both in-person and online. In conjunction with Decolonizing Lens, the welcome event offered film screenings and a follow-up discussion with the artist hosted by Sonya Ballantyne at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. 

Films screened include The Beacon Project: Stories Along the Qu’appelle Valley (with Dianne Whelan), Stories Are in Our Bones, Life Givers and some works in progress. 

Read a follow-up to the welcome event that had over 100 people in attendance.

Thursday, January 19, 2023
6:15 p.m. – doors open
6:30 p.m. – food by FEAST
7:00 p.m. – screening
Discussion to follow.
Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Boulevard
 

Register for the writer's workshop

Windolph is hosting a free virtual storytelling/filmmaking workshop throughout the residency on Story Sharing: Reflecting on Approach to Indigenous Narratives.

Dates and Time:
February 11, 25, March 11, 25, April 8, 22
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. CT
FREE
Registration for the online workshop is limited to 12 spots.
Email ccwoc@umanitoba.ca to register.

The workshop will explore writing through a lens of both film and oral storytelling to understand Indigenous Storytelling Practices. The diversity of Indigenous storytellers and approaches to storytelling will shape the content, values, protocols and processes that become part of the writer's methodology that impacts the content, the story structure of each writing and nature of each film project. The workshop will explore the relationship between the writer as a storyteller, and their audiences while emphasizing the responsibility they have to their subjects (if documentary or based on a true story), represented communities, and the nature of stories that are shared from a personal lens. 

The workshop will include a presentation followed by a dialogue with opportunity for feedback on work in one-on-one sessions or with the participant cohort. 

Book an individual writer consultation

Windolph is available by appointment to writers of all levels from January 16 to April 22. To consult with Windolph, students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the public are encouraged to contact her by email to arrange a free meeting.

Past Writers/Storytellers-in-Residence

See more past Writers/Storytellers-in-Residence

Apply to our Writer/Storyteller-in-Residence Program (currently seeking Fall 2023 & Winter 2024 applicants)

Writer-in-Residence

Applications are currently being accepted for the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 residencies until October 28, 2022.

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 residency, 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. Depending on COVID-19 protocols at the time, the residency is planned to be in-person but may be online.

CCWOC is a place for creativity, scholarly research into oral and literate cultures and making connections between the university and broader communities. Since 2008, the centre has provided support for students, faculty, alumni and community members who are working to create their own stories or who are studying the stories of others. The centre celebrates interdisciplinarity and encourages scholars and students from diverse backgrounds to explore the transformative possibilities of the spoken and written word.

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.

Apply

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:

  • A CV or resume of career achievements (publications, performances, awards, residencies)
  • A writing sample of no more than 20 pages (double-spaced and typed in a standard 12-point font)
  • Two letters of reference discussing the applicant’s skills as an artist and a mentor

Storytellers are encouraged to submit links to their performance videos.

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. Books and other materials sent in support of applications will not be returned.

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.

Who we are

Headshot of smiling woman wearing a purple plaid shirt with a background of trees.

Director

Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe

Dr. Jocelyn Thorpe is an associate professor 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. 

Steering Committee

Dr. Warren Cariou
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Alison Calder
English, Theatre, Film & Media

Dr. Adele Perry
History

Dr. Niigaan Sinclair
Indigenous Studies

Fellowships

C. D. Howe Memorial Fellowships in Creative Writing and Oral Culture

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).

Deadline for applications is June 1, 2022.

Eligibility

We offer fellowships to graduate students who:

  • Are enrolled full-time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, in a master's or doctoral degree program
  • Have achieved a minimum degree grade point average of 3.5 (or equivalent) based on the last 60 credit hours of study
  • Are conducting thesis research in creative writing (producing an original work of literature) or on the critical study of oral cultures
  • Students with lived experience of Indigenous and other oral cultures are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application requirements

Candidates are asked to submit an application consisting of:

  • A description of their proposed or ongoing research (maximum 500 words)
  • All current academic transcript(s)
  • Two academic letters of reference from professors at a post-secondary institution.

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, 2022.

Current recipients

2022-2023

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.

Past recipients

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

Text: Funding Opportunity. CD Howe memorial foundation fellowships in Creative Writing and Oral Culture.

Donations

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".

Donate to CCWOC

For more information on making a donation to CCWOC, please contact donor.relations@umanitoba.ca

Contact us

The Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB Canada

ccwoc@umanitoba.ca
204-474-7021