BY KATHRYN GREENAWAY, THE GAZETTE SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 Nestled inside this weekend's three-day Journees de la culture event is an initiative called Culture pour tous, designed to stimulate intercultural dialogue.
This year, Culture pour tous turns its spotlight on Haiti, with a program titled Viv Ayiti ( "long live Haiti" in Haitian Creole). Most activities take place Saturday, with a closing event on Sunday.
The focus was born of tragedy. After the massive earthquake devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, Haitian artists in Montreal began to organize fund-raisers and find other ways to keep Haiti in the public eye for longer than the usual two-week news cycle.
Culture pour tous project director Eva Quintas met with some of these artists, plus members of other cultural institutions in the city, and they began to design a program that would unfold during Journees de la culture.
"Viv Ayiti is a sort of Haitian Culture 101 course," Quintas said.
The program includes theatre, dance, crafts, high fashion, food, music, visual arts and literary events. "My biggest discovery when I began working with the (organizing) committee was that there was such a big Haitian literary scene here. There's a joke out there that says one in every two Haitians is a poet. The other one paints."
Franketienne does both. The Haitian novelist, painter and playwright is here for the Festival international de litterature, today and tomorrow at Cinquieme Salle of Place des Arts, and will participate in Viv Ayiti.
He speaks at the National Theatre School (5030 St. Denis St.) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and will attend a tribute to his work at the Lion d'Or (1676 Ontario St. E.) Sunday at 8 p.m. The evening of songs, words and music is directed by Rodney Saint-Eloi.
Culture pour tous is not only about cultural exchange; it's also about encouraging recent immigrants to engage in Montreal's cultural scene.
"New immigrants sometimes have the perception that the culture scene here is elitist, that maybe Place des Arts isn't for them," Quintas said. "Out goal is to exhibit a particular community's culture in a strong light, then encourage new immigrants to visit the various venues and give them a chance."
Quintas has been doing interviews on radio shows that reach Montreal's Haitian community and has even received unsolicited help from the community itself.
A Haitian taxi driver who drives one of the event's organizers heard about Viv Ayiti and taped a music mix to be played during its launch. Then he offered to hand out Viv Ayiti pamphlets to members of the Haitian community.
All Viv Ayiti events are free. A free shuttle service leaves for the eight participating venues from the Mount Royal metro station every 15 minutes Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.
Saturday's Viv Ayiti activities run until 5 p.m., and include:
-¦Theatrical readings at the National Theatre School (5030 St. Denis St.), beginning at 2 p.m.
-¦ Haitian fashion designers ANK-ISKO, Ralph Leroy, Emeraude Michel and Mirmonde Phildor give workshops, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5455 de Gaspe Ave., Suite 903.
-¦Photographer Gregory Jean-Baptiste gives a workshop and exhibits his earthquake photos at 11 a.m. and artist Marie-Denise Douyon gives a recycled-materials art workshop at 2 p.m. at Tohu, 2345 Jarry St. E.
-¦ Circuit-Est studio, 2022 Sher-brooke St. E., hosts dance classes: traditional at 11 a.m.; hip-hop with Alexandra Spicey Lande at 12:30 p.m.; contemporary with Emmanuel Jouthe at 2 p.m. and Haitian social dance at 3:30 p.m.
-¦Marche Frontenac (Iberville and Ontario Sts.) displays Haitian arts and crafts and food.
-¦The Grande Bibliotheque, 475 de Maisonneuve Blvd. E., hosts traditional storytelling sessions at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
-¦Journalist Real Barnabe hosts a screening of short films about the earthquake at the NFB CineRobotheque, 1564 St. Denis St., at 1:20 p.m.
-¦The MAI, 3680 Jeanne Mance St., hostsascreeningof theAndre Vanasse documentary Le cafe, une culture strategique pour Haiti at 11 a.m. and readings by female writers at 2 p.m.
kgreenaway@montrealgazette.com
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