MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP | Honouring My Mother’s Tongue

What stories live in your body? What words live on your tongue, even if you rarely speak them?
In honour of Filipino Heritage Month, we invite you to My Mother’s Tongue, a sensory-rich, heart-opening workshop that explores how language, memory, and culture shape who we are, especially for first-generation Canadians, immigrants, and those living between worlds.

Inspired by the Art Gallery of Mississauga’s current exhibition My Mother’s Tongue, this workshop invites participants into a space of reflection, creation, and connection. Whether you speak Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisaya or carry your mother’s tongue in scents, songs, stories, or silence, this experience will help you reconnect with the deeper meanings of language and identity.

Led by multidisciplinary artist Jennifer Rabanillo, this 2-hour gathering is an invitation to explore your heritage through all five senses. Participants will engage in guided reflection and art-making using cultural textiles, memory prompts, mixed media, and familiar cultural scents and sounds.

You’ll be invited to create a personal piece – a visual poem, memory board, or abstract expression – that captures a word, feeling, or fragment of your “mother’s tongue.” You don’t need to be an artist. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to explore what has been passed down to you, whether through language, lullabies, food, or family traditions.

This is a space for remembering and reimagining. A space to honour the voices of our mothers, our ancestors, and our own evolving identities.

About the Facilitator: Jennifer Rabanillo

Jennifer Rabanillo is a multidisciplinary artist whose work lives at the intersection of storytelling, spatial design, and cultural identity. With over two decades of creative experience, she blends her talents as an interior designer, art director for television, author, and filmmaker to craft meaningful and immersive experiences that honour heritage, healing, and self-expression.

Trained at the Interior Design Institute, Jennifer’s design aesthetic is rooted in storytelling through space: using colour, texture, and layout to evoke emotion and memory. Her visual language has graced the sets of major productions across Canada, where she has served as an art director for television, known for creating cinematic worlds that feel both intimate and impactful.

As the author of The Self-Love Club, Jennifer has shared her personal journey through the lens of wellness, cultural identity, and self-worth, resonating with readers navigating life between worlds. Her passion for visual storytelling extends to film, where she writes, directs, and produces projects that explore the immigrant experience, generational healing, and the nuances of belonging.

Whether curating spaces, framing shots behind the camera, or guiding workshops in community settings, Jennifer’s artistry is deeply rooted in the belief that design and storytelling can be powerful tools for connection, reflection, and transformation.