The research phase of this project, wherein Indigenous Elders, artists and scholars would be invited to partake in a two week residency experience at CUFO from July 1-14 2024 in order to build relationships with the non-human relations and with each other while practicing their craft. After this initial residency the Indigenous artists will lead a weekend program for the Concordia contemporary dance faculty around anti-colonial curriculum from July 19-21.
Many of the dance faculty have been researching anti-colonial work and Indiginaety in the arts but have not had much opportunity to practice and learn by doing. The opportunity to collaborate and learn directly from local Indigenous artists in nature will be a more sustainable way to incorporate research around decolonizing curriculum and will build lasting relationships, strengthening thearts sector and the Concordia dance program. In subsequent summers we hope to offer this same opportunity for faculty in other departments as well as a field school class for Concordia students.
Many of the Indigenous artists and knowledge holders involved in this project are not Concordia faculty and will be bringing valuable insight from their communities and training directly to Concordia dance faculty and in the form of curriculum design for the summer residencies. With the eventual creation of a field school program Concordia students will also benefit from this sustainable, Indigenous, land-based curriculum model.