Telling history, making art: How 2 artists are exploring heritage in P.E.I.

Two Charlottetown-based artists have each received arts grants to undertake projects that examine the importance of cultural heritage and contemplate personal identity, with one of them also unearthing some hidden history in Prince Edward Island. 

Teresa Kuo received a $5,000 provincial grant to direct and animate a seven-minute film which tells the story of a young Chinese woman who leaves her work life in the city, to move back home with her grandfather. This leads the woman to understand the importance of her cultural identity. 

Kuo said she hopes the short film connects with more than a Chinese-Canadian audience.

"[It's] a story of leaving home and then missing who you are and your background and going back to that and reconnecting with family and kind of finding what's important to you as you get older," Kuo said. "I think that's something everyone can relate to."

Kuo said she relates to what the protagonist of her short film goes through, and many others would, too. "It definitely pertains to me, but I also feel like it's not special just to my experience," she said.

Kuo, who is of Taiwanese descent, said she is pleased to receive the arts grant to begin a project very meaningful to her. 

"A lot of these art-based works, it takes a lot of time, a lot of sacrificed time as well. So any amount of money is useful in trying to not only get by finishing the film but be able to put all of my vision into creating all the details."

Kuo's short film is titled Where My Branches Stem. She said it's a pun on the Chinese lunar solar calendar, and the theme of the short film.

"The Chinese lunar solar calendar is represented by the 12 earthly branches, along with the 10 heavenly stems," she said.

"I [also] thought about the girl, you know, trying to make amends with everything and going back to her roots, and it all just kind of made sense in that title."

Scott Parsons, another provincial grant recipient, will use his $6,000 to record an album that tells the story of prominent Black Islanders whose stories have been forgotten.

For him, it's important to share their stories because they tell more than Black history, Parsons said.

"It's not just Black Islanders' history, it's Prince Edward Island history. [These are] people who have lived here, and worked here, and been part of the community," he said.

"I think it's important that not only Islanders, but people in the world, know that history."