BlackChat the Podcast

Welcome back to part two of our interview with the lovely Jillian Christmas. In this second half, we cover topics including self-care, the sacredness of locs, and the development and inspiration for Jillian's forthcoming book, The Gospel of Breaking. “Writer. Seeker. Traveling Circus.", Jillian is a queer, Black writer living on the unceded territories Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, where she served for six years as Artistic Director of Versəs Festival of Words. As an enthusiastic organizer and advocate in the Canadian arts community, her focus has been to increase anti-oppression initiatives in spoken word. She has executed programs in partnership with the Toronto Poetry Project, The Chan Centre, Vancouver Opera, and more. Jillian has performed and facilitated spoken word workshops for youth and adults across the country and beyond. Her forthcoming debut book of poetry will be released in Spring 2020 with Arsenal Pulp Press. Preorder her book here: https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/T/The-Gospel-of-Breaking?fbclid=IwAR3qVUHVjuhDprZcm68OgSAjS7ex1igm89RYVEElGwl-I2dSQeTA3zNdchs 

For updates and ways to contribute, visit www.patreon.com/blackchat or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blackchatvancouver 

Music and Poems by Jillian Christmas 

Photo by @photosbykho

Join us as we sit with our chosen family and local artist, Jillian Christmas. In part one, we talk about music and muscle memory, the intersections of Blackness and poetry, and her forthcoming book, The Gospel of Breaking.

Stay tuned for part two, which drops February 6th.

 “Writer. Seeker. Traveling Circus.", Jillian is a queer, Black writer living on the unceded territories Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations, where she served for six years as Artistic Director of Versəs Festival of Words. As an enthusiastic organizer and advocate in the Canadian arts community, her focus has been to increase anti-oppression initiatives in spoken word. She has executed programs in partnership with the Toronto Poetry Project, The Chan Centre, Vancouver Opera, and more. Jillian has performed and facilitated spoken word workshops for youth and adults across the country and beyond. Her forthcoming debut book of poetry will be released in Spring 2020 with Arsenal Pulp Press.

Preorder her book here: https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/T/The-Gospel-of-Breaking?fbclid=IwAR3qVUHVjuhDprZcm68OgSAjS7ex1igm89RYVEElGwl-I2dSQeTA3zNdchs

For updates and ways to contribute, visit www.patreon.com/blackchat or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blackchatvancouver

Music by: Jillian Christmas

Photo by: @eliceaphotography

Welcome folx!

Thank you for joining us in the living room. This is our first episode! Wow! How did this even happen?

Grab a beverage and get comfortable. In this first episode, we introduce ourselves, the land we're on, and the work we're doing. We also ask the question; what does intergenerational work look like to you? How does/doesn't it show up in your life?

Come bask in the laughter. Sit in the ponder. Awe at our intergenerational magic...

Stay tuned until the end to find out where we're taking the microphone next!

BlackChat is a series of social salons that originated in the summer of 2016. Curated by intergenerational co-conspirators !Kona and Morgan, BlackChat has dedicated it’s work to healing Black communities in the lower mainland through family reunion styled gatherings. Operating out of pocket, and out of home, BlackChat is entirely self-funded.

Our three streams of programming include BlackChat; the gatherings, BlackAttack; field trips to arts and culture events, and finally, BlackChat the Podcast which is now live!

For updates and ways to contribute, visit www.patreon.com/blackchat or follow us on Instagram @blackchatvancouver

Artwork by Ifetayo Zarine Alabi