Émilie Monnet and Jessica Carmichael each have a specific Indigenous heritage which inspires their work as theatre artists. What are the challenges of bridging the gap between mainstream settler culture and the rich Indigenous history that defines them? This question and more will be at the core of this inspiring Saturday Salon.
Émilie founded Onishka Productions, a Montreal-based arts organization created to support artists from different cultures and disciplines and the Scène contemporaine autochtone (SCA), an initiative to bring Indigenous performing arts projects to life. Her artistry is informed by many years of activism with Indigenous organizations in Canada and Latin America as well as her participation in artistic projects involving women offenders and Indigenous youth.
For three years, Jessica was the Artistic Director of the TYA company, Carousel Players. She is a former Artistic Associate for Toronto’s Native Earth Performing Arts and Program Director of their creators unit, Animiikiig. She was a workshop host for “The Study”, presented by the National Arts Centre, Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance and Debajehmujig Creation Centre. She is currently working as dramaturg for Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan’s “1939”, commissioned by the Stratford Festival of Canada.