Place des Arts celebrates Black History Month
Montreal, February 4, 2021 – Place des Arts is taking part in the celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Round Table on Black History Month with the presentation of a series of free activities that will shine a spotlight on the talent and commitment of Black artists and cultural stakeholders from Montreal and the province of Quebec.
On Thursday, February 11, a discussion on the cultural vitality of Black communities in Montreal will bring together CBC host Nantali Indongo; co-founder and General Director of the Gala Dynastie Carla Beauvais; choreographer, multiplatform artist, and founder and Artistic Director of the MAYDAY company Mélanie Demers; director, community organizer, and activist Will Prosper; and multidisciplinary artist, General Director and Head Curator of MAC-I Stanley Février. On Thursday, February 25, a big musical event will see Myriam and Philippe Fehmiu introduce the public to key pieces of music that have shaped the history of communities of African descent over the last few decades, featuring live performances by the group Fredy V. & The Foundation and singer-songwriter Jenny Salgado. Lastly, from February 8 to 28, artists Émilie Régnier, Damien Ajavon, and Shanna Strauss will be in residence, in turn, in the Place des Arts exhibition room for the creation of a group work.
These activities, developed in collaboration with The Round Table on Black History Month and various actors in Montreal’s Black community, will be webcast on Place des Arts’ website and Facebook page throughout the month of February.
“For several years now, Place des Arts has been working to enrich its programming to further reflect the diversity of our city’s cultural practices and communities. Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity to emphatically recognize Black community stakeholders’ contribution to the vitality of culture in Quebec and to shed some light on the excellence of these creative artists,” states Marie-Josée Desrochers, President and CEO of Place des Arts.
“We are proud to participate in this annual month of recognition, as the Round Table on Black History Month – with which we have collaborated in order to develop a series of engaging and original activities – celebrates 30 years of dialogue, determination and success” says Clothilde Cardinal, Director of Programming.
Programming
[Art and Society Discussion]
The Cultural Vitality of Black Communities in Montreal
Thursday, February 11 at noon – live webcast at placedesarts.com and on Place des Arts’ Facebook page
CBC host Nantali Indongo will invite panelists to comment on the essential role of black communities in the cultural ecosystem and to discuss actions that can be taken to advance equity and inclusion in this realm. With co-founder and General Director of the Gala Dynastie Carla Beauvais; choreographer, multiplatform artist, and founder and Artistic Director of the MAYDAY company Mélanie Demers; director, community organizer, and activist Will Prosper; and multidisciplinary artist, General Director and Head Curator of MAC-I Stanley Février.
[Art and Society Discussion]
The Fehmiu Playlist
Thursday, February 25 at 5:30 pm – live webcast at placedesarts.com and on Place des Arts’ Facebook page
This event brings together arts and culture enthusiasts Myriam and Philippe Fehmiu to focus on music that has shaped the history of communities of African descent over the last few decades. Punctuating the discussion will be live performances by the group Fredy V. & The Foundation and singer-songwriter Jenny Salgado.
[Artists’ Residency]
Community Attachments: creating in the absence of one another
February 8 to 28 – follow the creation of a group work at placedesarts.com and on Place des Arts’ Facebook page
For this new type of exhibition, produced by Place des Arts through a partnership with The Round Table on Black History Month, three artists (Émilie Régnier, Damien Ajavon, and Shanna Strauss) have been invited by curator Joséphine Denis to come up with new ways of sharing a sense of proximity and developing an affinity with one another. The Place des Arts exhibition room will play host to the artists in turn, with each spending a week working on a constantly evolving group piece, but never physically sharing the space. The public will be able to follow their progress on social media, gaining insight into their work process, their thoughts, and their approach to the project.
Complete details on these activities: placedesarts.com/moishistoirenoirs
The activities presented by Place des Arts as part of Black History Month are made possible through the support of the Fondation de la Place des Arts.
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Information:
Marie-Claude Lépine
Communications Manager
514 285-4271
mclepine@placedesarts.com