Mothers take action: Fostering solidarity and re appropriating social and political space through a collective creative project

This paper presents a case study and analysis of the use of creative arts and narrative tools in the practice of social work, with a particular focus on fostering solidarity and social change. We describe an innovative project aimed at tackling oppression with a group by and for migrant mothers in Montreal. First, we discuss how arts practices can be used to connect with ourselves and to nurture a collective consciousness. Second, we show how creative writing and the narrative process can offer a way of connecting in a community-based group, and can foster community empowerment. Third, we develop the idea that the dissemination of a collectively created artwork can create connections with the broader community and function as a tool for social change.