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NFB Canadian Francophonie Studio. Second Déranger intensive creative lab brings Indigenous multidisciplinary artists and mentors together in Winnipeg from November 11 to 15. Public presentation takes place at 6:30 p.m. on November 15 at Video Pool Media Arts Centre.

PRESS RELEASE
08/11/2018

November 8, 2018 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB), in collaboration with the Video Pool Media Arts Centre and On Screen Manitoba, is launching the second edition of the Déranger creative lab, designed for established multidisciplinary artists working in the French language and hailing from Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities anywhere in Canada. Supporting the NFB’s mandate of showcasing the diversity of French-speaking Indigenous voices, Déranger brings a group of artists together around a creative initiative whose goal is to enrich the public space with the works produced. From November 11 to November 15, 2018, at the Video Pool Media Arts Centre in Winnipeg, four creators will be paired in groups of two to develop prototypes for works, with an emphasis on the visual aspect of each project. The four creators chosen for this year are Daphne Boyer (Métis, Manitoba), Jessie Short (Michif, Alberta), Dominic Lafontaine (Anishnabek, Quebec-Ontario border), and Simon M. Benedict (Abenaki, Ontario). Mentorship sessions will be led by internationally recognized Indigenous artists Caroline Monnet and Sébastien Aubin, who participated in the first Déranger lab in Montreal in 2016, and France Trépanier.

Prototypes shown to public, producers and potential distributors on Nov. 15

The prototypes will be presented on Thursday, November 15, at the Video Pool Media Arts Centre, to Manitoba producers and distributors, as well as to the public at large. Through its participation in Déranger, the NFB serves as a talent incubator and networking hub, supporting cultural organizations and making it possible for works like this to be produced and distributed.

One of the prototypes developed during the 2016 edition of Déranger went into production and became an installation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Kushapetshekan/Kosapitcikan: A Glimpse into the Other World, by artists Eruoma Awashish, Meky Ottawa and Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush).

Déranger 

The idea for the creative lab was developed in 2016 by Michèle Bélanger, Executive Director of Programming and Production for French Program, together with Caroline Monnet, spokesperson and curator for the first edition of Déranger and mentor for this second edition.

The lab’s name, Déranger (a French verb meaning “to disrupt or disturb”), was chosen by the Indigenous artists who participated in the 2016 edition. The word carried several connotations for them, including the notion of Indigenous voices speaking out in the public space to disrupt the conventions of our society, which has kept them at bay for too long; creating works that disrupt; and wanting to be disrupted.

Quotes

“Déranger is a unique adventure that brings together artists from different nations to explore artistic creation with no safety net. It is a privilege for me to once again accompany them in this process.” – Denis McCready, Executive Producer, NFB Canadian Francophonie Studio

“The Déranger project is a unique opportunity to create without inhibition in a collaborative context. It is a space in which we agree to move out of our comfort zones—and one that allows Indigenous artists to break out of the boxes so often assigned to them by institutions.” – Caroline Monnet

“I am delighted to be able to contribute, as a mentor, to this edition of the Déranger lab, and to support the creative process of Indigenous French-speaking artists. This NFB initiative represents a rare opportunity to shine a light on the contemporaneity of their work while at the same time breaking stereotypes.” – France Trépanier

“The Déranger lab allowed me, fittingly enough, to disrupt myself. I was in the habit of working alone as a graphic artist, but this project encourages us to collaborate in teams—and now I distinctly prefer to work as part of a group. It was a wonderful experience, and I look forward to being a part of it again with this year’s participants.” – Sébastien Aubin

The lab

The four guest artists at Déranger will team up for projects that combine diverse disciplines (from visual and graphic arts to photography and video) with the aim of creating fresh new prototypes for works in the media arts. Working at the Video Pool Media Arts Centre, they’ll have access to a full suite of production equipment, including recording, sound, and editing studios and computer graphics tools. Videographer Mike Maryniuk will shoot short video segments to be streamed on the NFB’s Facebook page.

The four artists

  • Daphne Boyer: visual artist and plant scientist of Métis origin (Manitoba)
  • Jessie Short: artist, filmmaker and independent curator of Michif origin (Alberta)
  • Dominic Lafontaine: artist, poet and musician of Anishnabek origin
  • Simon M. Benedict: photographer and artist working in video, sound, and performance, of Abenaki origin

The three mentors

  • Caroline Monnet: multidisciplinary Anishinaabe/French artist
  • Sébastien Aubin: Cree graphic artist originally from Manitoba
  • France Trépanier: artist, curator and genealogy researcher—kanien’kéha:ka (Mohawk) and Québécoise

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Associated Links

Video Pool Media Arts Centre

On Screen Manitoba

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.