This text is part of the special Interculturality notebook
“Art is a universal communication tool,” says Nathalie Lévesque, founder and general director of La Boîte interculturelle. His organization works to create links between people of different cultures in rural regions of Quebec. His secret asset: art. “You don’t need to speak a language to appreciate music, dance or the visual arts! »
Her most recent project took her to the four corners of the province. In the company of Othman Wahabi, a musician of Moroccan origin, in 2022 she provoked conversations on the links between cultures and the realities of immigration. The events, organized here in a church, there in collaboration with the local employment center, take the form of one or more artistic performances. “During the first meeting, a visual artist painted a canvas during the musical presentation and discussions,” she explains. He was inspired to create. »
How does art help build connections? “When we talk about bringing cultures together, it is sometimes difficult to get people to talk, to open a dialogue,” explains M.me Lévesque. Art facilitates exchanges with people from different backgrounds. We see it in the events, people feel good. »
Open-mindedness in the region
For Nathalie Lévesque, it is essential to organize these events in communities far from major centers. “When I was talking about my idea for this project in 2016, people told me that I could organize this in Montreal, that there were lots of Moroccans living there. But in reality, if you bring people into environments that they have never had the opportunity to discover, the experience will be completely different. » She and her musician colleague thus took the road to various villages. “In these small communities, people don’t always have the opportunity to interact with people from other backgrounds,” she explains. We want to seek out people who are not “converted” to culture, to openness. »
Visiting these places also allows him to see that in small communities too, we work hard to integrate newcomers. In Lotbinière, for example, she crossed paths with a music group made up of immigrants and Quebecers. “They give presentations at senior centers. We invited them to join us for the following meetings. » The rapprochement bore fruit: an orchestra of the same type has since been formed in Bas-Saint-Laurent.
Strengthen the link
These rich events served as raw material for a documentary entitled The road to interculturality which leads Nathalie Lévesque again… on the road. “It’s important for me to film what happens during the meetings so that I can then give a tool back to the community. It’s also a way to revisit the environments in which we carried out the project. » She can thus measure the effects that her presence may have had on the community. “In Sainte-Gertrude last year, the day after our visit, the whole village was talking about us! » How have these conversations evolved since then?
This second visit is also an opportunity to strengthen the bond created a year ago. “If we do a project, introduce ourselves to a community and never come back, we will not develop a bond of trust. » For the director, it is essential to take the time to cultivate the relationships that we create. “At the first approach, people discover you. If you come back to it, the contact becomes much better. »
Thus, at Sainte-Gertrude, during his second visit, the screening of the documentary once again sparked reflections. A chapter devoted to the artist of Congolese origin Brice Obianga, new author of the book Bolingo in which he recounts his experience of immigrating to Canada, allowed several listeners to take a new look at their daily lives. “He published a book on how a newcomer feels through the five senses. Hearing this story made people say that they are so used to their environment that they forget the smells, what they see. » Spectators were thus able to make connections with the Guatemalan workers they meet daily.
“I do human projects,” summarizes Nathalie Lévesque with passion. “It’s important that people can interact together, discover other cultures and understand that deep down, we are all the same. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.