Curatorial Adventures - Montreal & Beyond
CURATORIAL ADVENTURES - MONTREAL & BEYOND.
By Nicole Mion, the Artistic Director & Curator of Springboard Performance
People often ask me how I find performances, curate, and connect communities to link and inspire cross country and pan global performance collaborations. It's an act of alchemy involving equal doses big picture dreaming and methodical (read: obsessive) uber-coordination love practice akin to getting numerous cats to line up in single file. It's not a simple recipe. It involves equal parts love of art and love of detail, and a whole lotta persistence and luck. Sometimes there is even travel involved. This past November-December I was able to travel to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Montreal, with the help of the Israeli Consulate, The Canada Council for the Arts, and Parcours Danse, to attend dance conferences and showcases.
On the bus at Parcours Danse / Jeruselum Street Performance / Sherover Theatre / International Curators / Performance at Jeruselum Dance Week
Israel is a hot bed for contemporary dance. Some of you saw the Hofesh Shechter Company and the Roy Assaf Company - both great Israeli artists. Springboard hopes to feature more artists in future years from the middle east, and believe in this time of world tensions, that understanding cultures through their art is essential. We also hope to invest in creation exchanges so that we can inspire artists from other countries to create with us in Calgary, and vice versa inspire exchanges so that Calgary artists can share their work with the world. Residency exchanges are one small step in this wonderful direction. Wouldn't a creative exchange with Jerusalem, Montreal and Calgary dance artists be awesome! I think so.
In Canada the gravitational pull for dance in this country puts Montreal at the epi-centre of a creative maelstrom of physical performance, questioning, and possibility. No one can deny the power of this creative community. The Fluid Festival has along history presenting Montreal artists, and will continue to do so. I saw some terrific performances, and I can't wait to share them with Calgary audiences.
Here's to more collaborations that get Calgary artists around the world, as well as the chance to feature eloquent and amazing International and national artists here in Calgary. Thanks to the funders that made it possible for me to attend.