this is my body
This is my body is an experience designed for women of color to reclaim their narratives and take up space and own their truths. In the wake of #MeToo and other critical conversations on how women navigate this world, storytelling has been a powerful vessel for resistance, empowerment, and healing.
We are all writers and creatives with stories to tell. This is my body is about starting the conversation at the point at which we own and love our bodies and our stories.
OVERVIEW
This is my body is a one-of-a kind, cohort-based experience that weaves together live writing and performance workshops, mentorship, and retreats, all grounded in collective healing, resistance, and liberation. The experience culminates in a live performance showcase where cohort members perform their original pieces for a community audience. Past cohorts have also had the opportunity to be published in printed anthologies or digital zines.
This experience is designed for women who:
Identify as a woman of color living in the Bay Area
Want to write, perform, or tell a story (no previous experience required)
Desire to be in community with writers, artists, and storytellers
Seek to connect with more people and share their story
Want to do something that challenges them, scares them, and/or takes them out of their comfort zone in a nurturing, kind, and supportive space
Program fees include:
One half day mini retreat with food and drinks
5 workshops focused on writing and performance workshops
1:1 coaching sessions to supporting writing and performance development
Professional headshots
Supportive cohort to help you navigate the experience during and beyond the program
Ongoing mentorship beyond the program
Applications for our 2026 cohort are now open. Applications will close on February 13, 2026.
ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE
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Our writing workshops teach the foundations of vulnerable storytelling as a tool for healing and empowerment. Each workshop supports you to identify, draft, and edit a personal narrative. We provide space for the cohort to build community and support one another through dialogue and feedback, as you move through the process of reflecting on and reclaiming your narrative.
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Our performance workshops engage a wide range of methods, including embodied practice and vocal exercises, to help you understand how to use movement and motion to embody your piece. These workshops will prepare you to feel comfortable and confident as you convey your written piece through performance.
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The culmination of this experience is the community performance where each cohort member will perform their 5-7 minutes original piece live. We ensure that the performance environment is safe and supportive, and provide guidance for the audience on how to engage with the pieces.
This is my body: a showcase of women storytellers. Video by Jesse Gurney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.
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This is my body is for women who:
Identify as a woman of color
Live in the San Francisco Bay Area
Want to write, perform, or tell a story (no previous experience required)
Desire to be in community with writers, artists, and storytellers
Seek to be in community with other women of color
Want to do something that challenges them, scares them, and/or takes them out of their comfort zone in a nurturing, kind, and supportive space
You do not need to call yourself a writer, artist, or activist to participate.
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This is my body is not a therapy or clinical mental health program. It is:
A facilitated, community-based space
Centered on storytelling, reflection, and connection
Designed to offer support, validation, and tools for naming personal experiences
Many participants find this is my body healing and powerful, and some may be in therapy alongside it, but it is not a substitute for professional mental health care.
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The 2026 program will include:
5 workshops and 1 mini-retreat over 2.5 months
Each session is approximately 2-3 hours long, with the exception of the mini-retreat, which is 4 hours.
Writing and reflection between sessions, as well as occasional touchpoints with the program facilitators.
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For 2026, TIMB will be entirely in-person, hosted in accessible spaces with attention to safety, comfort, and transportation.
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TIMB uses a sliding scale program fee model with full scholarships available. Our goal is that cost is not a barrier to participation.
Program fee: $500 - $800
Full scholarships are available for those who the cost of the program is a barrier to participation.
We encourage women of color to apply even if they are unsure about cost; we will work with participants to the best of our ability.
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Cohorts are intentionally kept small, usually around 6-10 participants, to allow for depth, intimacy, and meaningful connections across the group.
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Yes! TIMB is grounded in womanist and Black feminist traditions that understand gender, sexuality, race, and body as deeply interconnected.
The space is explicitly welcoming of queer and trans women of color, as well as nonbinary people of color who feel at home in a women of color-centered space. We ask all participants to honor and respect each other’s identities and experiences.
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A few possibilities:
Share the application with your networks and communities
Invite us to speak, facilitate a session, or join a panel on storytelling, body, or narrative justice
Explore partnership models such as sponsoring seats for women of color in your community or co-hosting future events
You’re welcome to reach out to us at contact@novaliacollective.com to talk about collaboration or tailored offerings.
We welcome financial support for the program to ensure removal of barriers to participation and expanding the impact of the experience. Supporting a scholarship is the perfect gift to celebrate or honor someone whose stories and presence have made a difference in your life or to support women of color whose stories need to be told.
ABOUT THE BOOK
This is my body is an anthology of written works by women of color exploring their relationship with their bodies in the world they exist in. Each piece is accompanied by a powerful stage performance bringing the words from the page to life.
ABOUT THE DIGITAL ANTHOLOGY
The this is my body digital anthology features writings from our 2023 and 2024 cohorts. The anthology brings the pieces to life through art and language to capture the beauty and power of each story.
ABOUT THE ZINE
Due to shelter-in-place policies, we took this is my body online and turned it into a three-week writing workshop. We have taken the works of these talented writers and captured them here in our first-ever this is my body zine.
To witness these stories in action, you can view the previous performances below:
this is my body 2025
this is my body 2024
this is my body 2023
this is my body 2021 (virtual)
this is my body 2020 (virtual)
this is my body 2019
this is my body 2018
