Queer Voices of the North Receives $8,000 OAC Grant for Digital Storytelling Workshop

News Release for SooNews.ca
Thursday, January 14, 2010, 10:17AM

SAULT STE. MARIE -- Queer Voices of the North, Northern Ontario’s only film festival focussing on the topics, themes, and narratives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirit, transsexual and genderqueer people, has been awarded $8,000 from the Ontario Arts Council through the Multi-Arts Projects Grant.


The grant will fund a workshop with the Centre for Digital Storytelling, in which 10 local queer youth from in and around Sault Ste. Marie will create their own digital stories, with the option of having their work screened during the 5th annual Queer Voices of the North Film Festival.


A digital story is a two to five minute video created by an individual sharing their own life story through voice, images, music, and other found objects in their lives. Digital storytelling workshops blend creative writing, oral history, and digital video production to support individuals and communities in making connections between their own lives and the lives of others.


“In the midst of the challenges faced by Gays and Lesbians in northern communities, there are compelling stories of survival and success, of those who have found ways to emerge out of social isolation, stigmatization, and day-to-day struggles” said Emmy Pantin and Jennifer LaFontaine, from the Centre for Digital Storytelling. “Social action begins with individual action, as people make connections between their own lives and the lives of others. When the digital stories are complete, there is great potential to further involve participants and the broader community. Digital stories are [...] ideal for use in a broad range of settings and contexts, to encourage individual behaviour change, build skills, and raise awareness about community issues.”

Digital storytelling workshops offer a safe, supportive environment in which participants with little to no prior video-making experience craft and record personal narratives; collect still images, video clips and music with which to illustrate these narratives; and are guided through computer tutorials that enable them to edit their own stories into a short movie.

The workshop will take the shape of three eight-hour sessions from Tuesday, March 23rd to Thursday, March 25th. To participate, individuals must be under the age of 30 and self-identify as queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, two-spirited, ogokwe, ogokwenini, transsexual, or genderqueer) and should apply using the downloadable application form on the Queer Voices website, www.queervoices.ca.

Queer Voices of the North Film Festival is celebrating its 5th anniversary. Since its inception in 2006, Queer Voices has sought to provoke important discussions on queer topics, to increase our visibility in the North, and to celebrate Northern Ontario’s queer history. The 2006 Queer Voices Film Festival focused on queer Native and local queer culture films. Since then, Queer Voices of the North has partnered with Shadows of the Mind Film Festival. In 2008, Queer Voices of the North presented the film Breakfast With Scot, at the Galaxy Cinema. In 2009 we screened Gus van Sant's Milk to a packed house at the Galaxy Cinema, along with a day of shorts at Arcadia Coffee House and a question and answer session with filmmakers. In 2010 we're growing again, including a workshop with the Centre for Digital Storytelling, and a great line-up of films. The 2010 festival is sponsored by the Ontario Arts Council and Synaptik Professional Solutions among others.

The Centre for Digital Storytelling has worked with a broad spectrum of groups and individuals since its inception in the 1990s. They have worked extensively in the school systems, training both students and teachers from K - 12, college and university. More than 10 000 people have participated in workshops in 23 countries around the world. Participants' stories have been featured on television, in classrooms, at film festivals, on the web, and through various other community events.

The Ontario Arts Council (OAC) is guided by the far-seeing mandate it was given in 1963 – to foster the creation and production of art for the benefit of all Ontarians. OAC offers more than fifty funding programs for Ontario-based artists and arts organizations, with funds from the Ontario government. Grants provide assistance for a specific activity, support for a period of time, or for ongoing operations. OAC also offers awards, prizes and scholarships from private funds managed by the Ontario Arts Foundation.

Synaptik Professional Solutions is Northern Ontario's expert group of Internet marketers with over twenty years of collective experience driving websites and businesses toward success. Synaptik created and manages the Queer Voices website at www.queervoices.ca and manages the festival’s marketing.

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