Ethnoculture announces program for 2011 event aimed at two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people from indigenous and racialized communities.
Montreal – Ethnoculture is launching our seventh annual and bilingual event – Ethnoculture 2010: Solidarity. Our primary goal for this edition is to help promote dialogue within and across diverse communities. We aim to build solidarity through fostering relationships and centering the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, indigenous, and two-spirited racial and ethnic minorities. “This year, we want to find ways to bring together diverse communities. Our programming allows us to identify the similarities between our experiences while at the same time acknowledging our differences. This allows us to learn from each other” says Co-coordinator Stephanie Bernadotte.
Our program highlights include an art exhibition and our guest artists, Alvaro Orozco and Kesso Line Saulnier. Kesso is of Guinean and Québécois background. She uses embroidery as a narrative and cathartic tool. Kesso takes from her everyday life experiences and evokes her relationships and interactions with people around her in order to explore intimacy, eroticism and bodily representation. Alvaro is an accomplished artist and dedicated advocate for queer and newcomer youth. Alvaro first rose to prominence in 2007 when his refugee claim in Toronto was denied because the adjudicator deciding his case did not believe he was gay. On May 13th 2011, Alvaro was arrested and placed in detention. In response, a broad cross-section of people from racialized, artist and LGBTQ communities came together and formed the Let Alvaro Stay campaign. On May 31st, two days before his deportation date, Alvaro received a positive decision on his Humanitarian and Compassionate (H & C) grounds permit application. Through the visual art of photography, Alvaro presents his unique visual representations as an artist and migrant. He also interweaves his own personal narrative as a queer migrant. These talented artists will be in attendance to respond to questions from the public.
Artist and activist Lali Mohamed will participate in our film festival and present some short films which speak to the realities of queer and trans youth of colour in Toronto. Ethnoculture will finish the day with an interactive theatre performance by the Living Histories Ensemble. The Living Histories Ensemble is a collective of performers in Montreal who practice a form of improvisational theatre known as Playback Theatre, which takes stories from the audience and “plays them back” using a variety of forms and techniques.
In addition to these highlights, Ethnoculture 2011: Solidarity will also include: our opening party with special performances by Liberia & Company and the Dukes of Drag, a solidarity brunch with diverse community groups, a panel focusing on the experiences of LGBTQ undocumented people, a presentation of the documentary titled Two Spirits, with a post film discussion about LGBTQ indigenous and two-spirited realities.
Ethnoculture 2011: Solidarity takes place Sunday September 25, 2011 at the Centre St Pierre (1212 rue Panet). Our opening party will be held on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 at the Drugstore (1366 Ste Catherines, East). Ethnoculture 2011 is FREE (with the exception of the opening party), although donations will be welcome.
Media Contact: Stephanie Bernadotte, Co-Coordinator, Ethnoculture
Tel: (514) 264-9153; E-mail: contact@ethnoculture.org
About Ethnoculture
Incorporated in 2007, Ethnoculture is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to coordinate community-based events for and about two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer people from racialized and indigenous communities living in Montreal. The goal of these events is to help such individuals break free from their invisibility, silence and isolation.
Ethnoculture is a working group of QPIRG Concordia.
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