The Conseil des arts de Montréal is delighted to announce that the grant recipients of the second edition of its support programs for Indigenous arts have been selected. Eight Indigenous artists, collectives and organizations will be awarded grants up to $15,000 to complete an artistic project.
By showcasing the wide range of artistic practices represented in the creation, production and presentation of works, the Conseil is committed to supporting the vitality of Indigenous arts, which are sure to be enriched further by this new cohort.
Here are the selected projects:
- Sylvia Cloutier, with the help from puppeteer Clea Mineker, will pursue research and development on her future creation HUSH, a work that explores the devastating impact of colonization, intergenerational trauma and suicide in Nunavik’s Inuit communities.
- Renée Condo will present her first solo exhibition, entitled Pemitgl – Heart Knowledge (Le savoir du cœur). By highlighting relationships through her beadwork, the artist will explore both spirit and energy as flow (Pemi) while centering heart knowledge, an intuitive knowledge premised on the L’nuk (Mi’gmaq) fundamental law of relating through Empathetic Love.
- Dayna Danger will produce two new works for Kinship Masks, an ongoing series of works by and for Indigenous communities and featuring the fabrication of personalized beaded fetish masks created in collaboration with kins. This project will give shape to gender and identity issues affecting communities that are marginalized and stereotyped by patriarchal and colonial oppression.
- Choreographer and multidisciplinary artist Lara Kramer will create and present a performance entitled Blankets, Herds and Ghosts featuring a series of blankets covered with jingles and, with the guidance from Anishinaabe knowledge keepers, providing a historical context for the multidimensional symbolism and relationship between the trade blanket and the jingle dress. Her exploration of the sound of the blankets and jingles extends the life of these voices, dreams, visions and histories.
- Through Productions AUEN, artist Soleil Launière will create, produce and perform her solo work AKUTEU, which looks at the childhood of a young Innu/Québécoise woman raised in her community.
- Les Productions Onishka will invite audiences to take part in an immersive audio experience through Old Montreal that traces the history of Marguerite Duplessis, the first Indigenous person to undertake a legal fight for her freedom in New France, back in 1740.
- Emilio Wawatie will compose a musical suite in seven movements for classical guitar, inspired by the Algonquin-Anishinaabe Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers. In this composition, the artist will seek to incorporate a variety of Indigenous and Western musical elements exploring various techniques, colours and sounds of the classical guitar.
- In his three-part project Baashkaapi | Making | Laughing, artist Nico Williams will produce a series of podcasts on the subject of well-being and the sense of humour, while exploring the many practices of Indigenous artists in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) and surrounding areas along with their advice on dealing with sensitive subjects in communities by using laughter as medicine. Making the most of a casual setting, these podcasts will provide a behind-the-scenes look at creation, language and sharing through stories.
We wish all the grant recipients the best of luck with this incredible diversity of promising creative projects!
