A Jacket Full of Stories

Welcome! Hello! How Are You?

My name is Jennifer and I am a visual anthropologist by training and a prairie person by birth. I live on lək̓ʷəŋən territories/Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC where I work as a researcher, consultant, and educator on projects related to arts, culture, health, and community advocacy. This site is a combination of projects I have been privileged to work on and the creative work of others I find inspiring. As a researcher, I think visually—that is, images not only illustrate my thoughts, images help me to process my ideas. This is a place to share these ideas in a jacket full of stories.

If you have any questions or want to chat, feel free to contact me at: JCR@ajacketfullofstories.com

Biography

I am originally from Treaty 7 territory in the Prairies, but I have been very fortunate to call the Coast and Strait Salish territories of the West Coast home for some time now. Something about the ocean keeps calling me back every time I try to step away. This love drew me to Vancouver Island where I completed my PhD in Visual Anthropology and Materiality at the University of Victoria in 2017. From here, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Cultural Studies Department at Queen's University and joined the Creative Conciliations Collective. "Go be with the maple trees for a while" a friend said to me. So, I did this. I spent time with the maples and the birch, and with those little delicious wild blueberries, and lots of train rides. There was also a significant amount of time spent by rivers and a Great Lake (just seen the one so far) reflecting on the post-Industrial landscape that is southern Ontario and Québec. In fall 2018, I shifted gears and drove myself to Manitoba, for Postdoc #2 through the University of Winnipeg. Here, I expanded my interest in institutional policies pertaining to community-engagement and advocacy and I sure do feel like I have lots to say about this now. Winnipeg also came with time spent. Time spent listening to rivers; the flowing waters of the Red and Assiniboine sure have a lot to say about the complicated history of this ongoing project we live in now called Canada and time spent absorbing the energy of being in the centre of the centre, which is the palpable history that Winnipeg carries. As it turns out, time spent has been a nice part of this thing called “the postdoc”.

Currently, I am back with the ocean breeze, on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, where I work on a number of creative and community-led projects through the University of Victoria. I am a Research Associate with the Visual Stories Lab & Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Anthropology, where sometimes I teach courses related to visual culture, Canadian history, and community-driven arts, archival, and advocacy initiatives. I am also a Research Associate with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and the Canadian Managed Alcohol Program Study where I contribute to harm reduction research, program evaluation, and policy development alongside some seriously amazing community partners.

Freelance  

Since 2019, I have consulted on a range of projects supporting human-centred storytelling and community engagement through creative and participatory methods and collaborations. This work builds on 20 years of working alongside artists, curators, archivists, researchers, educators, students, activists, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers. There is so much joy that comes from working with people and learning about lives lived. I also like to have a good time! And good work, even the really hard work, can be a great experience with the right people :)

In the spirit of working in good relation, freelance services I provide:

* Mixed-methods research and analysis that honours different ways of knowing and being 
* Qualitative and creative methodologies including oral histories, interviews, storytelling, surveys, narrative and content analysis 
* Collaborative policy writing and knowledge translation for diverse audiences
* Client and community-driven archives and collections research
* Repatriation initiatives in partnership with communities and public memory institutions 
* Curatorial exhibition development for museums, art galleries, cultural centres, and experimental spaces 
* Educational and public programming design and facilitation
* Project and event management, including coordination of multi-stakeholder initiatives
* Exhibition catalogue development and digital content creation
* Professional grant writing and funding development

Just Jen

Just Jen cannot be fully separated from everything listed above, but when I do move away from the keys and the screens, I really love— though not exclusively—the following: long walks and big talks; beaches, boats, and bikes rides; jumping in water and sitting by fires; reading books I can touch; pretty much all music but especially rock & roll; and time spent around a table sharing a good meal.