Creative Canada is a video-based oral history project documenting the lives and creative journeys of immigrant and refugee artists in Canada. Through recorded interviews, the project explores how artists navigate shifting geographies, audiences, and expectations while continuing to create—in dance studios, living rooms, classrooms, and gig jobs.
This project is part of Qissa’s oral history series exploring immigrant experiences in Canada. It builds on the foundation of Driving Canada, which focused on Uber drivers with professional and creative backgrounds. Creative Canada extends that lens to artists across disciplines—writers, poets, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, and more—whose stories reflect the intersections of art, migration, and survival.
The project challenges the idea that newcomer and refugee artists are ‘emerging’ by default. Many bring with them long creative histories and deep artistic knowledge, contributing to and actively shaping Canada’s cultural landscape.
If you are an immigrant or refugee artist and would like to share your story, get in touch at info@qissa.org.