This case study examines Sister Writes at Jessie’s, a creative writing programme for young mothers in Toronto, developed with Jessie’s: The June Callwood Centre for Young Women and embedded in the long-running Sister Writes programme. Informed by arts-based research (ABR) and critical arts-based inquiry (CABI), the initiative supported participants in asserting narrative authority through writing, publication and community-engaged public presentation. Working with acclaimed women writers, participants wrote and revised personal stories that culminated in a professionally produced magazine, a mini documentary voiced by participants and a public launch at a community cultural venue. By pairing production with public circulation, the programme positioned participants as authors and cultural contributors with expertise rooted in lived experience. This case study demonstrates how community creative writing programmes can function as narrative interventions, fostering authorship, agency and recognition for young mothers while producing lasting forms of knowledge.
Lauren Kirshner (Tue,) studied this question.