Aux confluents de l’Akiawenhrahk
Méduse Lunch
With Kwatriho’tat Committee et people from Spira, Antitube, L'Œil de Poisson, Avatar, VU and Méduse
At Avatar’s premises, Méduse, Onyonwentsïio’
April 16 2024
In a project such as the Alliance, many conversations take place in close circles, such as with the Kwatriho'tat committee or with the teams at Ahkwayaonhkeh, VU and Cinéma Beaumont, who are directly involved in the activities. The nature of such a project means that little information is disseminated or communicated, relative to the scope of the tasks and conversations that actually take place.
As the year progressed, we realised that many people – particularly our neighbours at Méduse – did not fully understand what the Alliance was. We therefore invited all the centres to a lunch to present the Alliance, its members, and the values and practices developed therein.
During the meal, we were able to strengthen existing ties and forge new ones. We then engaged in a group discussion. Several people expressed their desire to become more actively involved in a decolonial process, but did not know where to start. They also spoke of the organisational difficulties they faced in getting involved in this type of process, including a lack of time and resources.
”Within VU itself, we also found out that it was difficult for all members of the team or the board of directors, as well as for members, to get involved in such an initiative, for the same reasons.“ – Véronique Isabelle
This event was an opportunity to introduce some people to the issues faced by Indigenous artists, particularly in terms of calls for submissions. The importance of building relationships where artists feel comfortable was reiterated.
What emerged was that there is no magic formula for opening organizations to a more decolonial approach, nor for including Indigenous artists in our programming. It takes time as well as personal and professional investment. But in the current context of artist-run centres, where we always have to do more with less, how can we find the space and time? Although there is no clear answer to this question, it is still important to identify the barriers and obstacles in order to begin to see the paths forward.