Unseen Stars: Elemental Healing for Crown Wards through Literary Arts & Performance
Chloe Sanchez
Toronto, Ontario
Unseen Stars: Healing Crown Wards through Literary Arts & Performance was created to provide sacred and creative spaces for crown wards to gather, heal, and express themselves. The project reached 25 participants, each of whom brought their own story of survival and longing for belonging. Together, participants experienced workshops that blended literary arts with healing practices: writing and sharing poetry, exploring sound healing and reiki, and engaging in ritual such as the Star Ceremony
A Year of Cultivating a Safer Space for Unseen Stars
Chloe Sanchez is an artist, healer, and mother whose life and work are inseparable. As a former crown ward, she knows the reality of what it means to be forgotten, written off, or expected not to survive past thirty. Chloe Sanchez, a former crown ward herself, wanted to create what she never received: a place where crown wards could gather without judgment, reconnect to ceremony, and find freedom in expression through poetry, ritual, and performance.
For many, it was the first time they felt embraced by a community that truly understood them.
These gatherings led to breakthroughs in which participants could cry together, acknowledge the pain of being parentless while still holding space for one another, and discover the possibility of building community trust. In moments of vulnerability—like dancing together, eating butter chicken side by side, or sharing spoken word pieces—they discovered catharsis and the medicine of being witnessed. For many, it was the first time they felt embraced by a community that truly understood them. The project showed that when a safe container is offered, people are ready to be vulnerable, to release, and to step into ceremony. It affirmed that crown wards carry deep creative voices, and when given the chance to share them through writing and performance, they can release pain and reclaim dignity.
One of the greatest challenges was the reality of working with a community that has been so heavily impacted by trauma, loss, and marginalization. Many crown wards are not easily reached, as some are struggling with addiction, isolation, or have already passed on. To meet this challenge, Chloe partnered with trusted facilitators and organizations and used creative outreach methods to connect with participants. By grounding the workshops in ceremony and care, the team created spaces strong enough to hold both grief and joy.
“Unseen Stars challenged me to think differently about mentorship and youth engagement. Chloe’s energy is magnetic — she encourages reflection, courage, and action. I left feeling capable of creating real change.”
The next chapter of Unseen Stars is to continue healing through the arts while expanding into new community rituals and celebrations. This includes a graduation ceremony for crown wards who did not have the opportunity to experience one, as well as the vision of a dedicated Healing House and a year-round apothecary garden where crown wards can gather, create, and heal together. Elemental Healing will remain a core offering, continuing to grow through new ceremonies, including earth- and water-based practices, clay work, moon water rituals, and incense rolling.
About Chloe Sanchez
Chloe’s journey as a leader reflects the elements of fire and air. Fire lives in her defiance of the silence placed on crown wards, in her survival past thirty, and in her refusal to let this community remain invisible. Air carries her words, her poetry, and her breath of life into spaces where others can finally exhale too. Together, these elements shape her leadership as both a force of transformation and a source of release—reminding crown wards that they deserve to be seen, to speak, and to shine.
Facebook: Young Artists Hub
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Website: thehouseoffrigg.com
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