Awesome Arts | Arts en folie is a free program developed by MASC, a charitable organization with a passionate commitment to provide schools and communities with experiences of artistic excellence and creative process.
The program has been offered in our community for the past five years, variously in partnership with the Lowertown Community Resource Centre (LCRC), Patro d’Ottawa and the Centre de services Guigues.
The program has been offered in our community for the past five years, variously in partnership with the Lowertown Community Resource Centre (LCRC), Patro d’Ottawa and the Centre de services Guigues.
When developing a new program for participants, Awesome Arts en folie takes a 360-degree view. At the core is an issue worth exploring. Guides representing the three facets of the arts—visual, literary and performing—are engaged to mentor participants in the creation of artworks that, in turn, are presented to an audience, thereby completing the circle.
This fall, Awesome Arts en folie is running a Nature Sound Recording Workshop in partnership with the LCRC and Fieldwork, an art collective in Maberly, Ontario. On Saturday, September 26, 16 youths headed out to Fieldwork in Maberly to record nature sounds with Chad Clifford. They then worked on site with music producer Sergio Guerra, to mix the nature sounds with different beats that the youths create with a drum machine. It was a really great creative outing in the country mixing urban and rural elements.
This fall, Awesome Arts en folie is running a Nature Sound Recording Workshop in partnership with the LCRC and Fieldwork, an art collective in Maberly, Ontario. On Saturday, September 26, 16 youths headed out to Fieldwork in Maberly to record nature sounds with Chad Clifford. They then worked on site with music producer Sergio Guerra, to mix the nature sounds with different beats that the youths create with a drum machine. It was a really great creative outing in the country mixing urban and rural elements.
Awesome Arts en folie also ran a wildly successful program last spring, involving 200 participants ranging in age from five to 95 years old.
The purpose was to draw the community together through creative and artistic process with a final showcase at the end of the program.
Click on the "Read More" link to continue.
The purpose was to draw the community together through creative and artistic process with a final showcase at the end of the program.
Click on the "Read More" link to continue.
A group of talented youth from the Patro d’Ottawa performed a wonderful dance choreography created by Yvon Soglo of BBoyizm at the Festival.
On March 27th, 2015, more than 350 people crowded into the Patro d’Ottawa gym to partake in the Awesome Arts en folie Festival. It was an exciting evening that didn’t disappoint. There were performances in dance, theatre, song, poetry and a number of impressive videos… all created by residents of Lowertown for the enjoyment of the community. The energy and joy in the hall were palpable.
The Festival was the culmination of a three-month program, during which Awesome Arts en folie workshops were offered to different groups ranging in age from five to 95 years old. Led by professional artists, the participants created songs, wrote plays, created dance choreographies, wrote poems, filmed videos and produced beautiful visual art.
The workshop participants examined the importance and prevalence of linguistic and cultural duality in Canada and Lowertown. Anglophone children learned French songs; Francophone children worked with Anglophone children to create murals; Francophone seniors told stories that were then transformed into bilingual animation movies by Anglophone children; and, a group of Anglophone youth wrote a bilingual rap. Participant Akuol Luala’s experience led her to understanding that, “We can find mutual ground and we can inspire others with our stories.”
The spring 2015 program—which was funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage— succeeded in bringing together almost 200 participants and more than 350 Festival goers. This was also the first time that the program was offered equally in French and in English and brought together such a wide range of ages through intergenerational programming. Glenna, one of the senior participants, was thrilled with the Spoken Word program led by Jamaal Rogers. “Each week it was like being brought to another world. A wonderful new world, filled with young people, ideas and art.”
The Festival was the culmination of a three-month program, during which Awesome Arts en folie workshops were offered to different groups ranging in age from five to 95 years old. Led by professional artists, the participants created songs, wrote plays, created dance choreographies, wrote poems, filmed videos and produced beautiful visual art.
The workshop participants examined the importance and prevalence of linguistic and cultural duality in Canada and Lowertown. Anglophone children learned French songs; Francophone children worked with Anglophone children to create murals; Francophone seniors told stories that were then transformed into bilingual animation movies by Anglophone children; and, a group of Anglophone youth wrote a bilingual rap. Participant Akuol Luala’s experience led her to understanding that, “We can find mutual ground and we can inspire others with our stories.”
The spring 2015 program—which was funded in part by the Department of Canadian Heritage— succeeded in bringing together almost 200 participants and more than 350 Festival goers. This was also the first time that the program was offered equally in French and in English and brought together such a wide range of ages through intergenerational programming. Glenna, one of the senior participants, was thrilled with the Spoken Word program led by Jamaal Rogers. “Each week it was like being brought to another world. A wonderful new world, filled with young people, ideas and art.”
 Participant and City of Ottawa Intern Akuol Luala, with participant June Humphrey from the Intergenerational Spoken Word program led by Jamaal Rogers. |  Singer-Songwriter Mehdi Hamdad worked with the children at the Patro d’Ottawa to create a song about the pride they have for their French language. |
All the participants blossomed at the Festival. When asked what she enjoyed most, one young participant exclaimed, “I really liked myself.” Another was proud that she and her friends had created and performed a song—“that was excellent!”—with musician Mehdi Hamdad.
The final creations were shared at the Festival on March 27th, and five finished 4’x8’ murals have been permanently installed in the 40 Cobourg Avenue building: two in the LCRC offices, two in the City of Ottawa pool hallway and one in the Patro d’Ottawa hallway on the second floor.
“I tell all of my friends that I helped make those murals,” said one of the participants. The murals were created in collaboration with professional artists cj fleury and Nicole Bélanger. Additionally, one of the CinePoem videos created in partnership with Craig Conoley was featured on CBC’s All in a Day radio program.
The final creations were shared at the Festival on March 27th, and five finished 4’x8’ murals have been permanently installed in the 40 Cobourg Avenue building: two in the LCRC offices, two in the City of Ottawa pool hallway and one in the Patro d’Ottawa hallway on the second floor.
“I tell all of my friends that I helped make those murals,” said one of the participants. The murals were created in collaboration with professional artists cj fleury and Nicole Bélanger. Additionally, one of the CinePoem videos created in partnership with Craig Conoley was featured on CBC’s All in a Day radio program.
 Professional artist cj fleury guides Mikayla as she lays down her “life line” on the collaborative mural created by the LCRC Girls program that now hangs in the LCRC office space. |  'Chat', a story about the Cat Man of Parliament Hill, was told and recorded by francophone seniors, led by Marie-Thé Morin of Vox Théâtre and the animation was created by anglophone children led by Tina Le Moine and her intern Alia Khan and volunteer Janine Lameiras. Click on the photo to view it on YouTube. |
Awesome Arts en folie also offers an internship program for people aged 18 to 25 thanks to the City of Ottawa’s Youth Internship Program. This year, three youths were paired with three professional artists. For Intern Akuol Luala, the experience "improved my skills by learning the proper tools required to put together a wonderful video. I now know the proper term for the different functions on a camera which makes me more confident to shoot a video.” Intern Sarah Mussa expressed that, “The community part of the project was really important to me since we were working on a public piece of art that is going to be displayed for everyone to see. The mentorship program has helped me see the importance of creatively working together as a community.”
The community arts program has also been very enriching for the professional artists. For Craig Conoley, film and video director who has been part of Awesome Arts en folie for the past three years, “The most notable aspect of the program is the positive impact it has had on specific youth who return over the years. It’s inspiring to see them take on leadership roles through the internship program.”
The Awesome Arts en folie program has become an important part of life in Lowertown. For five consecutive years this dynamic community arts program has brought together a talented and engaged group of creative residents, both young and old.
It has been very successful, “proving to be very popular with the residents of the Lowertown community,” according to Stephen Pearson, LCRC’s Child and Youth Services Program Coordinator. “The programs offered through MASC Awesome Arts have been interesting, of great value and benefit to participants.”
Written by:
Micheline Shoebridge
Awesome Arts and Seniors Program Director and Residency Coordinator
Directrice, Arts en folie et Programme pour les aînés et Coordonatrice des résidences
The community arts program has also been very enriching for the professional artists. For Craig Conoley, film and video director who has been part of Awesome Arts en folie for the past three years, “The most notable aspect of the program is the positive impact it has had on specific youth who return over the years. It’s inspiring to see them take on leadership roles through the internship program.”
The Awesome Arts en folie program has become an important part of life in Lowertown. For five consecutive years this dynamic community arts program has brought together a talented and engaged group of creative residents, both young and old.
It has been very successful, “proving to be very popular with the residents of the Lowertown community,” according to Stephen Pearson, LCRC’s Child and Youth Services Program Coordinator. “The programs offered through MASC Awesome Arts have been interesting, of great value and benefit to participants.”
Written by:
Micheline Shoebridge
Awesome Arts and Seniors Program Director and Residency Coordinator
Directrice, Arts en folie et Programme pour les aînés et Coordonatrice des résidences
RSS Feed