break the cis-tem!

STAY TUNED FOR BTC 2026!

STAY TUNED FOR BTC 2026!

Break the Cis-tem 2023

March 26th - April 2nd, 2023.

This inaugural event series was in celebration of and in advocacy for the transgender and gender diverse community living on Epekwitk. This series included 5 events: Community Craft Day, Let's Get Medical, Dungeons in DRAGons, All Cis-tems Go, and Let's Get Loud!

This event series was made possible by the GEDI program developed by the Government of Prince Edward Island.

  • A pre-series event.

    We invited our community to Beaconsfield Carriage House to share space and make beautiful decor to TRANSform Beaconsfield Carriage House, the first homebase of Break the Cis-tem! We are consistently blown away by the talent and creativity of our community.

    Too often, event series' are contributing to systems of oppression such as capitalism.  We consistently strive to move our organization into a place where we can avoid engaging with these systems and minimize our impact on the environment / climate change. This is a driving factor as to why we wanted to make space for folks to create multipurpose decor. Furthermore, we were mindful to shop local when we could, borrow from other organizations such as Pride PEI &. PEERS Alliance, and purchase multipurpose decor that has longevity.

  • Via Zoom Teleconference.

    Let's Get Medical was an online community support group for individuals looking for guidance and support in navigating PEI's healthcare system; while the majority of folks were specifically interested in learning more about gender affirming care, others were simply looking for advice on how to self-advocate for any and all things medical - from surgery to ear-aches. We are proud to have had two incredible panelists in attendance to share wisdom from their lived experiences, and would like to share special gratitude to GACPEI for the work they do in advocating for dignified TGD healthcare on PEI. 

  • Scored live by Craig Fair.

    On Transgender Day of Visibility, we blew the roof off of Beaconsfield Carriage House with an event unlike any other PEI has seen before. Dungeons in DRAGons was a live action role play game brought to the stage, and scored live by Craig Fair Music Productions & hosted by Lady Fefe Fierce! Four adventurers led by our distinguished Table-Top, brought the audience through a thrilling adventure - tying in local, PEI lore and hinting at trans rights throughout the story, this event was not only wildly hilarious and fiercely entertaining, it was also heartfelt and healing to many in attendance. The event closed with a panel discussion facilitated by Lady Fefe Fierce to give the players an opportunity to talk about what inclusive table-top & role-play games mean to them as TGD individuals.

  • Led by our Art Curator, Julie Bull (they/them), All Cis-tems Go! made history by creating space for PEITN's first Transgender & Gender Diverse Fine Art Show & Anthology book launch!

    Julie, with the help of our Art Curation Committee, curated and edited our first anthology titled "In-Between", a collection of stories, poems and other written art forms that tell the tales of local TGD individuals; our experiences, the beautiful, the painful, and everything In-Between. 

    The event began with spoken programming, including poetry from Julie Bull, and many of the authors of In-Between! There was also space for our fine art artists to talk about their works on display. After the programming, the floor opened for folks to peruse, enjoy snacks and refreshments, and purchase art from local TGD artists and artisans. 

    Details on how to get your copy of In-Between coming soon!

  • A public gathering for TGD solidarity.

    In the face of anti-trans rhetoric, hate and organizing across Turtle Island, and specifically PEI, we decided to pivot our original event series to speak to the concerns and fears folks in our community, our allies & loved ones were experiencing in the lead up to BTC, 2023.

    Our response was to facilitate a public gathering and march; we were floored by the large crowd of love that poured into the city to show solidarity for our community.

    We are particularly grateful to have had such an amazing lineup of speakers, both from inside our community, and partnered organizations such as: BIPOC USHR, Pride PEI, PEERS Alliance, Egale, Our Landing Place and more!

    The hate was getting a little loud, but on April 2nd, 2023 we showed PEI that

    LOVE IS LOUDER!

Break the Cis-tem 2024

March 31 - April 18, 2024 (Workshops took place Jan-March, 2023)

For the second iteration of BTC, we hosted a series of 10 unique workshops exploring different art forms like spoken word poetry, sculpture, watercolour painting, printmaking, puppet-making, and story writing. Following the workshop series, the Festival hosted the “won’t back down” art and performance showcase which featured artwork made in the workshops and curated by the community. The performance showcase featured local 2S/TGD/NB/GD poets, drag performers, playwrights, singers, and performance artists. Another highlight was the development of our second trans anthology titled “in bloom: 2S/TGDNB Tales from Epekwitk.”

This event series was made possible by the GEDI program developed by the Government of Prince Edward Island.

  • A body-positive sharpie on canvas workshop facilitated by King Kxndi.

  • Trans artists will learn Watercolour 101 and be supported in the process of incorporating historic 2SLGBTQIA+ symbolism into a piece that represents our identities. Facilitated by Justine Lorch

  • Trans artists will learn the basics of sculpting with air-dried clay. Then, create a trans-affirming bust. Facilitated by Zander Gallant


  • A workshop where artists will be supported in workshopping the writing and performance components of group prose. Facilitated by Lucky Fusca

  • Trans+ writers learned the basics of writing soliloquies and were encouraged to perform their written declarations out loud!

  • Spoken Word 101, tips on stage presence, tricks on group-performances, and the opportunity to rehearse their own pre-written pieces. Facilitated by Chanel Briggs

  • Lino 101 and printmaking tips & tricks. Facilitated by Kal Ross

  • Participants explored expression through a puppet persona, open discussions around the relationship between art and politics / social movements. Facilitated by Becca Griffin.

  • Through a series of guided activities and prompts, this workshop provides space to get curious about our stories and how we choose to share them. Facilitated by Julie Bull.

  • Story writing workshop with advice on preparing to be a published author. Facilitated by Julie Bull.

  • An evening of live music, spoken prose, and visual arts by the trans + community. Queer Choir performance.

  • An event to launch our second trans anthology. Contributors read their pieces and artwork was displayed. Queer Choir performance