The Cégeps en spectacle competition now allows young artists to perform in one of the Aboriginal languages spoken in Quebec. A change that is “heart-warming” for Mathieu McKenzie of the Maten group, who was part of the jury for the local final in Sept-Îles in February.
Posted at 11:10 a.m.
“Many young Aboriginal artists have deprived themselves of performing on stage because they were not allowed to do so in their native language,” said Mathieu McKenzie in the official press release. Yet we also need to express ourselves and we need showcases like Cégeps en spectacle to do so. The openness shown by the RIASQ is a big step towards bringing peoples and cultures closer together. I have met several young people from CEGEP recently who are open and curious to discover our music, but we have to have the space to make them hear. »
This change to the regulations was easy to adopt, assures Maxime Burgoyne-Chartrand, director general of the Intercollegiate Network of Sociocultural Activities of Quebec (RIASQ). “Recognition and reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples has been the subject of much discussion in recent years,” he says. It is a social issue and, as a national cultural leisure organization, the work of introspection and reflection was essential. It seemed obvious to us that we had to review our regulations. »
Registration for the next edition of the Cégeps en spectacle competition has begun in several institutions. Until now, young artists could only perform in languages other than French in the “hors-concours” section. With the amendment to the regulations, the Aboriginal languages of Quebec and French become the only ones eligible for the competitive component.