© Francis Lovett

Stéphane Crête — Comfort in discomfort

Oct. 2nd to 6th, 2023 – 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (Mon.-Fri.)
Full week rate : $85
Drop-in class rate : N/A

Language of instruction : French
Questions can also be asked in : English
Open to artists of all disciplines 

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The mask could be mandatory for some activities as an accessibility measure for our teachers or participants. For more information, click here.

 



CONTENT
Desire, violence, nudity, exhaustion: playing with the limits of the performing body sometimes asks us to face areas of shadow and unspoken words, as if normal “in the name of art” to venture into these slippery spaces at the expense of our comfort and safety. This abandonment of our own limits too often generates confusion, blockages or traumas. How then do we find comfort in performing scenes, choreography or performative actions that are not comfortable to perform? By applying communication tools to name our needs and fears, we will learn how to create safe spaces to further explore our boundaries. Then, by adding a ritual dimension to these actions, we will see how to reclaim the sacred power of our creative acts.


ACCESSIBILITY
Each morning we will activate our bodies, energy and creativity through a period of free movement, supported by loud music. We will then have a circle to speak and to hear the needs of the group, and then the facilitator will give some theory on the concepts to be explored during the day. Depending on the themes explored, there will be duo or trio work, involving touch and verbal exchanges. Small and large group discussions and exchanges are an important part of the workshop. All instructions are given verbally, sometimes followed by a demonstration. Aside from the morning dance, the structure of the workshop will change each day, increasing in emotional intensity as the week progresses. Participation in each exercise is voluntary and optional, within the limits of each individual. There are no specific physical requirements.


BIOGRAPHY
Transdisciplinary artist, ritualist and author, Stéphane Crête stands out with his atypical background (theater, cinema, installation, performance art). In parallel to his career as an actor, he has developed a pedagogy that combines creative processes and self-knowledge through a series of workshops given with Essentia School, the Monastère des Augustines de Québec, the RAIQ and Studio 303. His workshops address issues of grief, presence and intimacy, through trance and conscious touch, as well as workshops created specifically for performing artists.

The workshop gave me new tools; practice with performance and creation.

– Chloe Guilbert Savary