Drawn to the world of arts and culture, I love being immersed in collection management, digital curation as well as event programming. As an Information Studies student, my coursework focuses on archives, user experience, and librarianship.
My story with Festival Acc猫s Asie (FAA) started 3 years ago, when I visited the Asian Horror & Cynicism exhibition. The experience was quite the opposite of its title: I felt safe and seen. You can imagine my surprise when I turned around the corner and realized that was the end of it. Wanting to see more, I searched for the organization and ways to get involved right away. After conflicting summer plans for the past few years, I was finally able to apply for the internship through the Arts Internship Office (AIO) this year.
As a second-generation Chinese Canadian, I have often turned to the arts for connection, reflection, and understanding. This internship felt like the perfect puzzle piece given the festival鈥檚 commitment to platforming artists of the Asian diaspora. I was excited by the chance to support programming that was not only artistically rich but also socially engaged. My learning objectives included gaining firsthand experience in a cultural organization, deepening my knowledge of the arts landscape in Montreal, and contributing to inclusive, community-centered programming. Going into the internship, I set the intention of practicing my French more actively in a francophone setting after years of studying in English. It helped rebuild my confidence and reactivate that language muscle memory. This was also my first time working full-time, so I expected an adjustment period. I am grateful that the FAA team was incredibly supportive and welcoming, which made the transition much smoother and the internship all the more enjoyable.
Founded in 1995, Festival Acc猫s Asie is the oldest Asian heritage festival in Canada (celebrating its 30th anniversary this year!). Its mission is to highlight Asian arts and cultures in all their diversity, providing a stage for artists across disciplines, everything from visual art to dance, music, theatre, and more. The internship with FAA takes place primarily in May, during the festival鈥檚 Asian Heritage Month programming. As an intern, I supported day-to-day operations by creating promotional graphics and videos, translating documents, managing ticketing and merchandise sales, and assisting both artists and guests during events.
On my first day, I toured the Ges霉, where FAA is located, to see artist Brintha Koneshachandra鈥檚 visual art exhibit 喈ㄠ喈瘝: Can the divine speak? Fragments and echoes of Eelam Tamil voices unveiled. My favorite piece was The Burning of Jaffna Library, which references the 1981 destruction of over 90,000 books, archives, and rare manuscripts deliberately set ablaze. This tragic loss of Tamil heritage resonated with my academic background, emphasizing the importance of memory institutions and preserving knowledge. A couple days later, I attended the opening of the immersive exhibition to a still moment repeated by artist Charlie Khalil Prince and filmmaker Karim Ghorayeb. If you ask me what my top pick of the 2025 programming was, this pi猫ce de r茅sistance is my answer. In the context of Lebanon鈥檚 political collapse and ongoing economic crisis, the video portraits of bodies suspended mid-air, caught between falling and flying, are powerful metaphors. At a tipping point, we see them rise above systemic violence.
This internship has clarified my goal of working at the intersection of cultural heritage and community-based arts centering marginalized voices to foster meaningful public engagement. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to those who made this opportunity possible, especially for the financial support from the Faculty of Arts Internship Award. Your generosity allowed me to grow both personally and professionally while contributing to an organization that reflects the values and passions I hold close.
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