The Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM); the Ministère de l’Éducation, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (MÉESR), through its A Montréal School for All program, and Communication-Jeunesse are pleased to announce that Lou Beauchesne, Lula Carballo, Émilie Leduc, Niti Marcelle Mueth and Amélie Stardust have been selected for residencies in five Montréal schools.
The five creators will have the opportunity to share a unique experience in children’s literature with dozens of elementary-age students. Each residency includes a grant of $10,000; the Conseil and the MÉESR will each contribute $5,000. The creators will carry out the following cultural mediation projects for students.
- Lou Beauchesne will complete her residency at École Gabrielle-Roy (CSSPI). Each student participating in the project will learn how to make an accordion book, exploring personification. The kids will create an I.L.O. (Identified Living Object), that is, a character from a discarded object (empty bottle, holey sock, old toothbrush, etc.).
- At École Saint-Grégoire-le-Grand (CSSDM), Lula Carballo will invite Grade 3 and Grade 4 students to write a fragment poem combining drawings and collage. The author will also use these introductory poetry workshops to introduce kids to the zine (a handmade book-object that includes poetry and other forms of art).
- Émilie Leduc’s residency will take place at École Martin-Bélanger (CSSMB). The author’s project, “Le Musée des bizarres de Montréal,” will teach the kids to manage a project not only by creating characters, but also by coming up with a past and a rich backstory for them. These characters will then be presented as portraits, like in museums.
- Niti Marcelle Mueth aims to inspire self-expression and encourage social engagement during her residency at École Cœur-Immaculé-de-Marie (CSSDM). During the workshops, Cycle Three students will cultivate their creativity and develop their writing and illustration skills to produce a mini comic book that lets them express a positive message through a visual medium.
- Finally, at École Philippe-Morin (CSSMB), Amélie Stardust will examine the fictional diary. She will guide students as they explore various character creation processes using a diary and a variety of scenarios. The workshops will focus on emotions and relationships, with the goal of introducing introspection through fiction.
The residencies will run from February to April 2023. Unique in Quebec, this project is an opportunity for special exchanges between creators and youth, allowing children to learn about literary creation while developing a connection with the selected creators.
The mediation projects will also enrich the selected creators’ work on their own personal creation projects—an original project put forward specifically as part of these residencies.
