Since 2013, Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique has been piloting an annual cultural mediation project. Thus, in recent editions, no less than 130 participants aged 13 to 86 took part in workshops led by eight choreographers. For a wide audience, Circuit-Est has already opened its doors to teenagers, seniors, people who are blind or amblyopic, people with a psychological fragility, but also people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Danse pour TOI!
2023-2024 cultural mediation project
This cultural mediation project will enable young adults with physical disabilities, whether hearing, speech or mobility impairments, to enjoy an enriching experience with choreographer and street dance teacher Ford Mckeown Larose, from Forward Movements. Thanks to a valuable partnership with the TÉVA-DP (Travail Étude Vie Active en Déficience Physique) team at the Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique Raymond-Dewar Laurier, we will be able to reach these young people directly, whether they are enrolled in the TÉVA-DP program at the time of recruitment, or have previously benefited from it.
PURPOSE
One of the main aims of this project is to help them develop their self-confidence at this pivotal stage in their lives, between school and working life. Exploring expression through the body; learning concepts linked to a form of dance practice; appropriating a choreographic language as well as the experience of participating in a dance creation are all elements that will reinforce the sense of accomplishment of these young people living with a special condition. This project will also enable them to better appropriate their body's place in space and acquire certain skills, highlighting their potential rather than their limitations.
The project will include :
- 12 street dance workshops (Hip hop, Popping and Boogaloo) accompanied by a guest musician, a drummer, so that the participants can experience the interdependent relationship between movement and music
- Over a 12-week period
- A final public presentation accompanied by a DJ, followed by an exchange with the audience.
Having carried out a number of cultural mediation projects, we've come to realize that dance has many benefits, both in terms of mental and physical health. Taking part in these workshops will provide these young people with an additional tool to help them launch their professional lives with greater strength and determination. Depending on the nature of the participants' disabilities, different types of facilitator will need to be involved to support them during the workshops, like a sign language interpreter (ASL or LSQ), a psycho-educator or a professional physical attendant. The two-hour workshops will take place every week in Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique's Peter-Boneham studio. The project will culminate in a presentation followed by an animation with the public in the Jeanne-Renaud studio on April 27, 2024, as part of International Dance Day activities. This presentation will enable participants to share the fruits of their experience and discuss the creative process and the project's impact on their lives. To increase the visibility of the activity, it will be documented throughout the process by photos, videos and articles, which will be posted on social media and on Circuit-Est's cultural mediation blog. Participants will also be invited to actively contribute to the blog with short texts, drawings or other documents inspired by their experience. In conclusion, this project will enable these young people to discover their expressive potential and develop a personal way of valuing their differences. The dance experience will undoubtedly be an enriching journey for these young people in their quest for greater self-confidence, and can be seen as both an inspiring adventure and an anchoring process. It goes without saying that this project will also enrich the practice and development of the artists involved. Sharing and transmitting knowledge will be at the heart of this cultural mediation project, which will take place in a safe, immersive space.
The choreographer
Ford Mckeown Larose
The choreographer and teacher chosen for this project has experience with young people, and is particularly interested in developing different movement alternatives when dealing with limitations. His experience in other cultural mediation projects is also a guarantee that he understands the adaptations he will need to make to the content of his workshops, to make them accessible to these young people while still being sprinkled with small challenges. It's very important for us to take into account each participant's profile and adapt to their needs. Ford will be supported by an assistant with whom he has previously worked and who, like him, is keen to bridge the gap between community, art and culture. Together, they will lead these young people to generate movements that are their own, although inspired by the concepts and principles of the street dances taught.
This project receives the financial support of the Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal
conclue entre la Ville de Montréal et le gouvernement du Québec.
ÇA danse en MOI!
2022-2023
ÇA danse en MOI!
2022-2023
Credits: Ford McKeown Larose © Clemence Clara Faure - Cultural mediation Ça danse en MOI! © Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique
