(in) visible cities Performance Art Festival Workshop

(in) visible cities workshop: Performance and Activism in Everyday Life
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 6th and Sunday, Sept. 7th, 2008 Times: 10am - 6pm

Location: aceartinc. 2nd Floor, 290 McDermot Avenue,Winnipeg, Manitoba

This two-day workshop will expand ideas of performance art practice in relation to collaboration,
community, and activism. The workshop will be led by Cheryl l’Hirondelle (Vancouver), Lorri
Millan (Winnipeg) and Shawna Dempsey (Winnipeg) – a dynamic trio of experienced artists and
educators who collectively have backgrounds in performance art, interventionist art, street
theatre, community activism, lo-fi media tactics, decolonization strategies, queer theory, net.art,
installation art, costume design, writing, critical analysis, vocal technique and movement.

The workshop will focus on the development of performance-based interventionist strategies
using voice, movement, space, objects, writing and costume. It will also include an examination,
from a range of cultural perspectives, of interactive and collaborative relationships between
performers, audiences and communities.

The workshop will include full group exercises and discussions, smaller group activities,
movement and voice-based activities, presentations by the artists on related issues in their own
work, and a field trip. It is aimed at emerging and experienced performing artists (e.g.
performance art, music, theatre, dance). Participants should wear comfortable shoes and
clothing, bring lunch, and a yoga mat or towel. The workshop is free, but space is limited to 12
participants: pre-registration is required, and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Workshop Leader Bios

Cheryl L'Hirondelle (aka Waynohtêw, Cheryl Koprek) is an Alberta born but currently a Vancouver
based, halfbreed (Metis/Cree-non status/treaty, French, German, Polish) multi/interdisciplinary artist and
musician. Since the early 80's she has created, performed, collaborated and presented work in a variety of
artistic disciplines: performance art, music (voice, percussion, songwriter, arranger, producer), theatre
(actor, writer), storytelling, installation art (site-specific, earthworks) video and new media (net.art, pirate
radio, audio art).

Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan
Experimental, passionate, and irreverent, Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan are two of Canada’s best
known performance artists. Collaborators since 1989, this Winnipeg-based duo were catapulted into the
national spotlight in their 20s with the controversial, now world-renowned performance piece, We’re
Talking Vulva. Since then, this acclaimed duo has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe,
Australia, and Japan, their film and video works being screened in venues as far-ranging as women's
centres in Sri Lanka to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. They have also created installations
(Archaeology and You for the Royal Ontario Museum), published books (Lesbian National Parks &
Services Field Guide to North America, Pedlar Press), and curated exhibitions (recently as Adjunct
Curators at The Winnipeg Art Gallery). They have been acclaimed as “one of the high-points of
contemporary Canadian artistic production.” (Border Crossings)

This workshop is a joint presentation by aceartinc and Urban Shaman Gallery. To register or for
more information contact:
aceartinc. Tel: 204.944.9763 Email: program [at] aceart [dot] org
Urban Shaman Gallery Tel: 204.942.2674 Email: program [at] urbanshaman [dot] org

This workshop is part of (in) visible cities – a performance art festival in Winnipeg’s Exchange District from
September 6th to 13th, 2008. (in) visible cities is presented by aceartinc., Urban Shaman Gallery, Plug In Institute of
Contemporary Art, and Video Pool Media Arts Centre. (in) visible cities gratefully acknowledges the generous support
of the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Downtown Festival Grant Program, the Manitoba Arts Council, the Canada Council for
the Arts and the Department of Canadian Heritage. Sincere thanks also to our donors, members and volunteers; and
to our community, and friends and family.