Arts Programs

ICA’s Arts & Outreach programs use art as a tool and method to celebrate and communicate the immigrant and refugee experience.

The Arts Program provides a non-threatening and democratic space through which to tell the newcomer story. It is a space ICA uses to explore social issues, including, but not limited to those relating to race, culture, identity, gender, religion, stereotyping and discrimination. Our objective is to hold conversations that engage community, and share ideas that help break down barriers and help build healthy and welcoming communities.

The goals of the Arts Program are as follows:

To build inclusive community through collaborative artistic projects.
To nurture and strengthen cultural interaction and connection
To create innovative & provocative work that:

Relates the newcomer narrative of coming to Canada
Is accessible and breaks down linguistic and cultural barriers
Actively changes the discourse around refugees and immigrants
Shift attitudes and creates better pathways for inclusion and integration into Canadian society
Values the contributions, talents and presence of newcomers
Uses art-based practices as a means for healing, reconciliation and the integration of marginalized communities
Engages audiences across multi-faceted cultural settings, encourages exchange and dialogue, promotes diversity, and fosters trust and mutual respect

Canada is a growing, dynamic and increasingly complex multicultural society. ICA believes that all cultures enrich our lives in many ways and it is essential that this diversity is celebrated and reflected in the arts. If it is not, our communities will be less vibrant, less interesting and less tolerant places to live.

For more information contact

Paulina Grainger, Manager – Arts and Community Engagement
Email: pgrainger@icavictoria.org
Phone: 250.388.4728 Ext. 2138.

Let's Talk About Aging Across Cultures

Far too many seniors have reported feeling “invisible” and “diminished.”
It’s clear we live in a youth-fixated culture. As Andy Rooney ruefully pointed out,
“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”

Copies of the book are available through ICA.

Paulina Grainger,
Manager – Arts and Community Engagement
Email: pgrainger@icavictoria.org
Phone: 250.388.4728 Ext. 2138.

Insights of Immigrant Women

An Exhibition by Syrian Artist Ibrahim Hamid

“Insights of an immigrant” depicts women’s emotions during the journey of seeking refuge, the Syrian artist Ibrahim Al Hamid is using his artworks to explore the unique experiences of immigrant women during their journey.

In his artworks, Al Hamid uses a range of colours and brushstrokes to convey the emotional intensity of the immigrant experience, with a focus on themes such as fear, uncertainty, and hope. He uses women’s faces and eyes to depict the emotions and physical strain that women endure during the journey of seeking refuge.

Through his artworks, Al Hamid seeks to capture the unique challenges faced by immigrant women, to create layered and textured compositions that reflect the different layers of identity and experience as well as the strength and resilience that they bring to their journeys.

Al Hamid’s artworks also highlight the importance of empathy, compassion, and solidarity with immigrant women, emphasizing the shared humanity and interconnectedness of all people. He expresses the unique insights and emotions that immigrant women bring to their new homes, celebrating the richness and diversity of human experience and the power of human resilience and adaptation in the face of change.

Overall, Al Hamid’s artworks are seeking to inspire reflection, compassion, and understanding, encouraging viewers to think deeply about the experiences of immigrant women and the important role that art can play in fostering empathy and connection across cultures and communities.

Exhibition was on view at ICA September 25th to October 31, 2024

im:print 2024: A Celebration of Diverse Voices

October 3–12, 2024 | Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria

im:print 2024 was a powerful performance that brought together Indigenous, settler, immigrant, and refugee artists, each sharing personal stories through spoken word, dance, and song. The production explored complex themes of place, belonging, identity, and the real-world impacts of equity and inclusion. This community-driven project boldly challenged prevailing narratives around identity, equity, diversity, and inclusion, shining a light on the real-world impacts of these issues. Through themes of place and displacement, belonging and longing, and connection and disconnection, im:print 2024 highlighted the lived experiences of individuals and communities within our region, creating a space for dialogue and reflection.

im:print 2024 was made possible with the generous support of United Way Southern Vancouver Island and Canadian Heritage.

We are deeply grateful to all who attended and supported this transformative event, and we are proud to have created a space where art, community, and conversation came together in such a meaningful way.

More information

Meet the im:print 2024 Cast

2022 marked the second iteration of im:print and ICA’s partnership with the University of Victoria Theatre Department and Raino Dance to produce a powerful, community-based production. This production too was a multidisciplinary show that weaves the personal stories of immigrant, Indigenous, settler and Canadian-born artists.

Meet the im:print 2022 Cast

This project was funded in part by United Way Southern Vancouver Island and the Staging Equality Project (UVic).

Black History Month