Neecheemus – Onishka

Neecheemus means “my darling” in Cree.

For her second year as artist-in-residence at Théâtre ESPACE GO, artist and director Émilie Monnet proposed a festive event bringing together the intergenerational words of inspiring and inspired women around the theme of Love and eroticism.

Over the course of four festive evenings, eight indigenous and black women artists offered an artistic gesture or a spontaneous statement on these themes. All these proposals were interwoven by the music of Anachnid and Frannie Holder, as well as video projections by Caroline Monnet.

The concept of love, eroticism and pleasure is interwoven into the very heart of indigenous languages and traditional stories, which carry with them a worldview specific to each of the cultures and territories from which they originate. This relationship to love and sexuality differs from the Western conception and from its articulation in Latin and Anglo-Saxon languages.

In the age of #metoo, having access to traditional conceptions, or those that pre-date the beginnings of colonization, can feed the conversation and perhaps even provide keys to help us redefine our relationship with others, intimacy and society, as well as project ourselves into the future. For example, the sexuality of indigenous women was damaged by colonization, and its representation today is mostly focused on the clichés and traumas associated with colonization. Rethinking Love and Pleasure in terms of decolonization could be one way of addressing the scourge of sexual violence in our communities.

Discover:

(in French only)

Les carnets dramaturgiques de Neecheemus, réalisés par Véronik Picard

Une présentation des artistes participantes

A proposition of Émilie Monnet | Texts: Joséphine Bacon, Marie-Louise Bibish Mumbu, Catherine Boivin, Elisapie, Sharon Fontaine-Ishpatao, Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau, Isabelle Picard, Angélique Willkie | With: Joséphine Bacon, Catherine Boivin, Elisapie, Sharon Fontaine-Ishpatao, Virginia Pésémapéo Bordeleau, Isabelle Picard, Angélique Willkie, Tatiana Zinga Botao | Music: Anachnid + Frannie Holder | Staging collaboration: Suzanne Crocker | Set design: Eruoma Awashish | Lighting: Martin Sirois | Sound manager: Marie-Frédérique Gravel | Video: Caroline Monnet | Video integration: Dominique Hawry | Sound design: Anachnid + Frannie Holder | Video editing: Marc Boucrot | Visual design: Otami | Typography: Allen’s Cruz | Animation: Lochlan Doyle | Stylist: Nicole Langlois | Production management: Suzanne Crocker | Technical direction: Alex Gendron

Neecheemus is a coproduction of Espace GO & ONISHKA, with the support of the Cole Foundation.

Photos: Antoine Raymond

PERFORMANCES

January 19-22, 2023 – Espace GO, Montreal

VISUELS

Crédit photo : Antoine Raymond