Story Sharing Program at Bruce House
(Ottawa) The Story Sharing program provides a welcoming space for PHA community members by giving them space to craft, hone, and share their stories (factual or creative), to connect through shared life experiences, and build meaningful relationships. All levels of creative experience are welcome! Created by Qu’ART - Ottawa Queer Arts Collective
“Surviving and Thriving" a Collection of Living Stories
The 2025-26 Bruce House participants are excited to share their “living with HIV” stories in a collection they named “Surviving and Thriving.” Thriving was a common theme that emerged as participants developed their stories, and discovering what it means to move beyond a surviving mentality — something that not everyone experiences. Most participants of the program remained anonymous because of the continuing, unfair social stigma for people live with HIV.
As a new program, the 2025-26 exhibitions will be within their understanding communities. During exhibitions, you can read the stories from their self-produced booklets, the poster boards, or you can download the audiobooks (MP3 audio files) outside the exhibition. The audiobooks will currently only available for the week after an exhibition
Audiobooks (English)
Listed alphabetically
Discrimination-In-Healthcare (4m31)
Expect the Unexpected (13m14)
Of Brothers, Villains, and An Old Man with HIV by Gustavo Hanneke (6m56)
One Pill at a Time (10m14)
Work In Progress - photography collage (1m51)
Audiobooks recorded by Velvet Wells to protect group anonymity, where requested
Exhibition Collage
Bruce House participants wrote their stories and illustrated three booklets and several poster board sized pieces
2025-26 Program Details
Cost: PHA community participation is FREE
Frequency: Twice a month
Sessions: Wednesdays in 2026. February to May. From October to December (2025) sessions were held on Thursdays
Location: Bruce House
Perks: Public transportation tickets and meals provided; an honorarium for those who attend the full series in a session
Hosted by Bruce House in partnership with Qu'ART - Ottawa Queer Arts Collective
Contact Velvet Wells (program developer/manager) through QUART dot STORIES at GMAIL dot COM
Why Bruce House Believes in this program
The intended outcomes of this initiative are to provide meaningful involvement opportunities for Bruce House clients to reduce feelings of isolation
At the heart of this program is our goal to encourage self-reflection and opportunities for creativity, as a means to build wellness, decrease social isolation and to build greater bonds within Bruce House client communities
This story sharing program gives clients space to connect with others across shared life experiences. They can deepen existing relationships and connect with new acquaintances. They can build their curiosity and creative practice, discover more about each other through the shared interest of story sharing. Another benefit of this program is the intrinsic potential to help each others' esteem and self-acceptance through the simple act of sharing oneself
How Qu’ART is Connected to this program
Our intention is to foster increased opportunities for queer and trans artists, activists, allies, and cultural influencers to cross-pollinate socially and creatively through supporting residencies, workshops, performances, panel discussions, and community projects that will connect people across generations and artistic disciplines. We have a longstanding relationship with Bruce House and other community-centered organizations
Program developer/manager Velvet Wells
Velvet Wells (they/them) joined Qu’ART in 2023 to co-facilitate Qu’ART’s Get Your Story Out virtual storytelling program. Velvet is a musical comedian, social justice theatre creator, arts administrator, facilitator, and consultant. They are a member of Black Pledge Canada, facilitating workshops and programs the disrupt anti-Black racism in Canadian performance spaces
