Founding Myths, Aboriginal Reconciliation and Video Games

at the heart of the performances presented at the 14th OFFTA

May 22-32, 2020

Living Arts unveils a second wave of projects of the 14th edition of OFFTA, a festival of living arts, to be held in a reinvented version from 22 to 32 May 2020. Revisiting their practice to adapt their proposals to new realities, the artists will offer remote performances that will question our founding myths, a conversation on themes of identity recreated by members of the public by video conference, as well as a live night performance on Twitch, with the goal of reinventing links, embracing the unknown and outsmarting isolation.

The public can buy their pass at the offta.com/billetterie giving access during the festival to the various performances. With the desire to make this edition the most affordable at all, a $0 package is offered, as well as solidarity passes at $25 and $50, all offering full access to the programming of the 14th edition of OFFTA.

PROLOGUE

Mani Soleymanlou – La Jeune Troupe du Quat’Sous

Around Mani Soleymanlou, a troupe has embarked on the creation of a work inspired by the Shahhnâmeh (The Book of Kings): the great Iranian epic tale written around the year 1000 by the poet Ferdowsi. This winter they questioned our founding myths, these epics that still define us today and shape our vision of the world. Then the COVID-19 occurred… and the questions have changed. While the world is living social distancing is a theatrical production still possible? Can this type of art survive the absence of being face-to-face? Mani and the troupe are interested in this space that makes the theatre alive: the eye of the spectator. This space that no video conference can reproduce. The troupe proposes to bring the performance directly to the public, wherever it is, from Montreal to Rimouski, in a park, on a balcony, always at a safe distance. These meetings between artists and spectators will be captured and then offered to a wider audience by video.

STRIKE/THRU

Nadia Myre + Johanna Nutter

creature/creature

Co-broadcast with MAI (Montreal, Intercultural Arts)

An artistic encounter between two long-time friends, STRIKE/THRU brings together Aboriginal visual artist Nadia Myre and indigenous theatre artist Johanna Nutter. Via videoconference, six members of the public are invited to reconstruct a recorded conversation between people of mixed origins while the two artists use what has been produced by the audience members explore the identity. A real drive towards resolution and reconciliation, this work brilliantly reflects the current climate surrounding relations between aboriginals and idigenous.


This project received financial support from the Alliance MAI program (2016-2017) and this event is an excerpt from the performance that was to be presented at THE MAI in May 2020, postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Nous campions loin des endroits où la mort nous attendait

Hugo Nadeau


Through night tours of Nous Aurons, a video game created by the artist, Hugo Nadeau guides us through seven interactive scenarios on the Twitch platform. Nous campions loin des endroits où la mort nous attendait is an attempt to deal with reality, an exploration of the spaces between the present and imagined times.

Remember that every week until May 18, the details of each artist’s projects will be revealed.

#offta2020