Futures Observational Poetry Walk

Inspired by the Doris McCarthy Gallery exhibition Rajni Perera: Futures, poet, educator, and nature artist Sheniz Janmohamed will lead an observational poetry walk through the Highland Creek Valley at the U of T Scarborough campus. After touring the exhibition, participants will proceed to the Ma Moosh Ka Win Trail for a gentle nature walk, taking in the senses of the season. Throughout our time together, there will be opportunities to stop, contemplate, listen, observe and sketch/write. Where do we witness the past, present, and future intersect in the environment around us? Through creative prompts, we will be encouraged to reflect upon our ancestral journeys and witness how we, and nature, in turn, experience climate change in subtle and significant ways.  At the end of the walk, we will create our own nature art pieces as offerings to what has passed, and what has yet to come.

Spaces limited; registration required. Please note any accommodation needs when registering, and gallery staff will follow up with you as necessary.

Participants are asked to bring a notebook and something to write with, and to dress for the weather and conditions. No writing experience needed.

Most of this program will be held outdoors, and it will go forward rain or shine. Participants can choose how much of the valley they would like to explore during the program. The Ma Moosh Ka Win Trail is wheelchair accessible; the trail that continues beyond is an uneven, dirt path. This program will include opportunities to sit down/rest.

Sheniz Janmohamed was born and raised in Tkaronto with ancestral ties to Kenya and India. An author, arts educator and a nature connection specialist, she regularly visits schools and community organizations to teach and perform. Her nature art has been featured across Turtle Island, including the National Arts Centre and the Art Gallery of Mississauga. She has performed her work in venues across the world and has three poetry collections Bleeding Light (2010), Firesmoke (2014) and Reminders on the Path (2021).

A recipient of the Lois Birkenshaw-Fleming Creative Teaching Scholarship, Sheniz holds an Artist Educator Mentor certificate from the Royal Conservatory. She’s facilitated poetry walks and outdoor workshops for a number of organizations including the Doris McCarthy Gallery, Scarborough Arts, Markham Public Library, the University of Toronto and the Art Gallery of Mississauga.

In 2022, she served as the Writer-in-Residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus and Artist-in-Residence at the Stone & Sky Festival (Pelee Island). Currently, she teaches Creative Writing at U of T's School of Continuing Studies.