Femmes br@nchées #36 :: Art and Activism

April’s Femmes br@nchées welcomed two women artists who presented recent work and a host of women activists involved in protests against the FTAA Summit in Quebec City. It was an entertaining and enlightening evening, as art melded with activism on a digital backdrop.

We were happy to announce that Nancy Tobin was the winner of the First Prix du Public at The Maid in Cyberspace Festival. She received her prize and present her prize-winning work Restarea.

Laiwan is an interdisciplinary artist and writer. Her most recent work Quartet plays on the millennial year – 4698 and 5760, the Chinese and Jewish years respectively for 2000. Quartet uses 16mm film, music improvisation, live performance, sculptural installation, computer media and the Internet. Laiwan discussed and presented some of this work and talk about the following night’s performance with bass clarinetist Lori Freedman at Oboro Gallery.

The second half of the program was a post-mortem report from Quebec City set up as an informal round table. Netami Stuart talked about the Bikesheviks Vélorutionnaires: a biker gang of the best kind — non-motorized, unarmed, ideologically progressive, and counter-criminal. They are taking on the criminal gangs (motorized, armed and ideologically reactionary) lobbying for the Free Trade Area of the Americas with an awareness-raising bike tour called FTAA-Protest On Wheels!, FTAA-POW!

AMARC (Association Mondiale des Radiodifuseurs Communautaires) is a community radio organization dedicated to the expression of social, political and cultural movements, recognizing in particular the fundamental role of women in new communication practices. Anna Friz shared with us her experiences in setting up a radio station in Quebec for the duration of the People’s summit.

Les salAMIelles is an affinity group of the women’s committee of salAMI, a Quebec-based citizens committee fighting against the globalisation of misery and for the globalisation of resistance. L’Iris Morrissette shared with us the success of their endeavors in Quebec City.