Lamentations in a Winter Garden

Deborah and Devora met another teacher while in the middle of soundcheck by the subway station. Needing a male voice to test the timbre in a mic, they stopped Hadji, who happened to be walking by. When he began to freestyle about his experiences as a recent immigrant to Canada, they happily invited him to participate in the entire project. (Why should we cry has its own blog here where you can listen to this very session.)

“He immediately started to do this exquisite rap about being originally from Algeria and Paris. It was all about the tensions of displacement and migration.”

Displacement is a significant theme for Margo and Neumark, who both have family that came to Canada to escape the pogroms of World War II. Their own practices and friendship span the course of 28 years, beginning in a shared drawing class at Concordia University. Appropriately then, Margo and Neumark see themselves as learners in this current project, not facilitators. They envision the project as something that will change according to the needs and experiences of all participants.

“We don’t assume that there is a singular or a pre-given public. This project isn’t about stepping into a public space that is already being delineated.”

Why should we cry culminates as a final performance, given at midnight on the winter solstice. Singing songs of mourning on the darkest day of the year, Margo and Neumark hope to address the need for reflection of cultural difference, xenophobia, and personal pain within the community.

“Winter is a time for rest. It’s a time when things are slowed down, preparing for the spring. Dormancy doesn’t mean death. It means things are resting.”

Why should we cry: lamentations in a winter garden runs from Sun September 21 – Sun December 21 in conjunction with DARE-DARE, Montreal.

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