Participants in the Cégeps en spectacle contest will now be able to express themselves in the Aboriginal languages of Quebec.
The Intercollegiate Network of Sociocultural Activities of Quebec (RIASQ) made the announcement on Tuesday and invites all First Nations members to get involved in sharing their culture.
Previously, only performances in French were permitted. Several types of performances can be submitted to Cégeps en spectacles, including songs, theatre, public speaking and comedy.
According to the director general of the RIASQ, Mathieu Burgoyne-Chartrand, it was “obvious” that these changes had to be made to include “the members of these communities who have so much to share”.
The news delighted singer Émile Bilodeau, who is spokesperson for RIASQ.
“Knowing that the RIASQ is giving them a place in the largest collegiate performing arts competition makes me even more proud to be the spokesperson for this organization,” he said in a press release.
Mathieu McKenzie, an Innu artist who has already been on a Cégep jury performing in Sept-Îles, also welcomed this decision.
“The openness shown by the RIASQ is a big step in bringing peoples and cultures closer together. I have rubbed shoulders with several young people from CEGEP recently who are open and curious to discover our music, but we must have the space to make them hear, ”he said in a press release.
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