Oz [B.G-Osborne]
Oz [B.G-Osborne] is a white, queer, autistic settler of Scottish, British, Irish and French descent. They were born and raised on Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg Territory [Kawartha Lakes], and are a current uninvited guest on the Southeast coast of Ktaqmkuk [Newfoundland].
Oz’s ongoing projects seek to unpack and share their experiences with mental illness, neurodivergence, grief and familial bonds. They place great importance in showcasing their work in artist-run centres and non-commercial galleries across Turtle Island.
Art Crawl Project: How does it sound/How does it feel?
“How does it sound/How does it feel?” is an immersive sound-based project created in collaboration with four LGBTQIA+ neurodivergent community members who, like Oz, experience auditory processing issues and/or hyperacusis. Each participant provided Oz with examples of sounds that elicit negative reactions, and Oz subsequently transformed them into customized soundscapes based on their auditory preferences.
The work is propelled by a desire to transform distressing and/or uncomfortable auditory stimuli into soundscapes that can help alleviate stress and anxiety, and to remind neurodivergent community members that they can experience relief and joy through sound art.
Recording and Composition by: B.G-Osborne
Mastering by: audio engineer Michelle LaCour
For HOLD FAST, Oz have provided two options for experiencing the soundscapes: via personal headphones and smart device using the QR code that will be provided in our festival pamphlets/ website and on posters along Water Street, or as an immersive sound installation at Lawnya Vawnya headquarters [ 4 Clift’s – Baird’s Cove].
Oz gratefully acknowledge the support of ArtsNL in the development of this work.
Workshop Details:
Stim Toy Maker Space is an all-ages, no experience required, stim toy-making workshop. Participants will be provided with a wide range of materials to brainstorm and experiment with making their own personal stim toy. This workshop will be for neurodivergent community members and their loved ones.
Materials Provided will include: paracord, cotton and silk woven rope, wooden beads, glass beads, rocks, small ceramic pieces [glazed and unglazed], carabiners/metal fasteners, glass tubing [can be cut to custom size by the artist], satin ribbon, magnets, various adhesives, various fabric samples, memory foam, and a few other odds and ends.
This is a mandatory mask event; we will have masks available if you are not able to bring one with you.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP.
Khadija Aziz
Khadija Aziz is a Toronto-based textile artist and educator. Her specialization in textile arts is needlework: embroidery, quilting, patchwork, appliqué, bead embroidery, and basic sewing. She marries these slow hand-craft techniques with the immediate and chance-based outcomes of digital manipulation methods using a photo scanner. Her art has been exhibited in Canada, the USA, Australia, and Austria, and received recognition through awards from Craft Ontario (2019 and 2020) and the Surface Design Association (2020). Khadija’s art has also been published in magazines, books, and conference papers in Canada (Canadian Craft Federation, 2020 and 2021; UPPERCASE Magazine, 2021; and more), the USA (the Surface Design Journal, 2020), and Prague (TEXTile Manifestos, 2022).
Khadija is currently a full-time Artist-in-Residence at Harbourfront Centre, where she is expanding her research-creation on digital-analog craft techniques. She is also engaging in research on the European colonial impacts on the Kashmiri shawl industry’s design and production methods, supported by the Craft Projects Grant from the Ontario Arts Council (2025).
Art Crawl Project: Mirroring the Land Mirroring Ourselves
Mirroring the Land Mirroring Ourselves is an installation that reflects on community-building and identity formation as immigrants on Turtle Island. Drawing from South Asian textiles, it highlights the visibility of our multifaceted identities and cultural heritage in public spaces, countering internalized racism and fostering a sense of belonging.
Mirroring the Land Mirroring Ourselves is an ode to the recent immigrants of Canada, many of whom are fleeing
violence, human rights violations, or lack of opportunities, all of which are usually the aftermath of Western
colonialism, historic or contemporary. This installation is a reflection of Newfoundland and Labrador being a
popular entrypoint for many colonizers and immigrants. Today, through the Atlantic Immigration Program,
immigrants from the Global South call the province their home. This installation is about making space in
the region for our multi-faceted identities and cultures, seeking to prevent internalized racism by seeing our
culture in the public.
Workshop Details:
Explore South Asian mirror embroidery techniques and learn to adorn textiles with round mirrors! In this beginner-friendly workshop, you will learn about the origins of mirror embroidery and decorate cloth with shimmering glass mirrors and beautiful thread. By the end of the evening, you will have created a sampler that you can refer to in your future embellishment projects.
All materials and supplies will be provided. Students may bring along additional supplies (fabric, clothing, thread) to personalize their projects. This class is best suited for adults (ages 14+).
This workshop is generously being hosted by East Coast Quilt Co. All workshop participants are required to sign a waiver before the workshop. Anyone under the age of 18 must have this form signed by a parental guardian.
East Coast Quilt Co. is a scent-free space. Scented products can trigger serious health reactions in folks with asthma, chronic migraines, allergies, or chemical sensitivities. Please help us maintain a healthy environment for everyone by not wearing scented products.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP.
Joliz Dela Peña
Joliz Dela Peña, also known as JDP 2009, is a self-taught interdisciplinary artist from the Philippines, currently based in Tiohtià: ke. Intimate connection to memories, identity, and immigration are recurring themes in Dela Pena’s practice. Through performance accompanied by installations, she pursues to relive realities, explore its complexities, and translate invisible tension/s into various visual and tactile qualities. In recent works, she attempts to translate fragmented memories from her personal life as first-generation immigrant, as well as borrowed from others, to create a larger and more universal perspective for the audience to relate or connect to.
Art Crawl Project: When the Body Remembers
When the Body Remembers is a site-specific endurance performance that explores grief, resilience, and displacement through the act of dragging a large rock wrapped in barbed wire from one point to another. Through this physically demanding gesture, the work evokes the invisible labour of women in society, using struggle and repetition as metaphors for migration, attachment, and the weight of unresolved histories.
Workshop Details:
This workshop-laboratory introduces participants to performance art as a powerful medium for storytelling, activism, and embodied resistance. Through guided exercises, discussions, and interactive movement explorations, participants will learn how to use their bodies, gestures, objects, and even public space to communicate ideas and challenge societal narratives.
The workshop will conclude with a collective reflection, inviting participants to share their experiences and consider how performance art can serve as a tool for expression and social critique.
This workshop is open to all experience levels, no prior performance experience required, just a curiosity about the medium.
Participants are asked to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move on the floor and bring a mat/cushion. Joliz also invites you to bring an item to explore and/or an intention to carry with them through the experience. This class is best suited for adults (ages 16+).
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS WORKSHOP.