Patchwork Village

In the context of the 40th Anniversary of the site-plan approval of The Esplanade (St. Lawrence), how could we celebrate this shared common place we all call home?

Simply by telling stories of Esplanadians, and these stories are rich, inspiring, moving, waiting to be told, shared and embodied.

Each story is a component of an ensemble - a vital piece of a patchwork that composes the intangible cultural heritage of our Esplanadian community. These voices make up the social fabric of our community – a patchwork that connects people and tells the story of our collective memory.

Patchwork Village is the first step of a journey to the heart of our common identity and the richness of our cultural differences.

We are the Patchwork Village.

PHASE 1:

Creation of a photo/text exhibit displayed in Crombie Park in May & June 2016, as part of CONTACT, Photography Festival.

This exhibit is a snapshot of The Esplanade’s diverse composition today as seen through the lenses of a group of residents and photographer Charlie Lindsay. In a collaborative creative process, our group interviewed and gathered stories recounted by forty selected protagonists. Each story was then translated into a written text, and visually interpreted by Lindsay (along with various Esplanadian’s collaborative input).

Artistic Team:

Curator: Isorine Marc
Project coordinator: Zoie Browne

Lead artist – Creative writing: Anne-Marie ‘Amani’ Woods
Lead artist – Exhibit design: Jacques Fortier

Photographer: Charlie Lindsay

Graphic designer: Gus Morainslie

Project photo & video documentation: Laura Dittmann

Editor: Robert Graham

Artistic advisor: David Danzon

PHASE 2:

Creation of a live re-enactement of the 40 stories by Esplanadians of all ages.

Presented on Oct 1st 2016 as part of Toronto Nuit Blanche.

Artistic Team: