Starting in early March 2010, members of the Yellow Ribbon Social Club of the Yellow Door have been invited to experience the literary world of four talented and unique Canadian writers in residence at the Montreal artist-run centre OBORO. Together the group has rediscovered creative writing and contemporary art using diverse writing strategies adapted from the artists’ literary styles.
Through this unique mediation process involving yoga, movement, collective poetry, theatre, freewriting and more – the Social Club members have been inspired to write short texts and poems in response to the Parcel Workshops. Below are a few selected writings from these remarkable exchanges that will become part of a small publication to celebrate this initiative in June.
A Collection of…
The yellow door is curious, what lies behind these doors? I am going to explore – I open the door and there is to be found a few kind people of different races, all socializing, planning what activities to take place. There is excitement with suggestions of going to the museums, visiting other historic places, but the biggest is going to “OBORO”. What is it? Follow The Yellow Door through winding traffic and narrow streets we arrive at the building of OBORO. Going back in time to the good old days, when we’re greeted by fellow workers all hustling to make a buck. No time to stop and stare, the freight elevator is going up and up to the OBORO Studio. Arriving it is quiet and we are met by young faces, all curious to meet us older folks. It is fantastic to see these younger faces, to meet writers and artists: happy and eager to tell their stories. What a wonderful experience with different projects ahead. Teatime is the peak moment for socializing and discussion. It reminds me of the tea party in Alice and Wonderland with cucumbers and other such delights with the sonic bed as a background for a perfect jungle scene…
Louise Jack
The art of combining my hair
Facing the mirror
Viewing in wonder
Soft silver hair
Black tress gone.
Brushing briskly
Combing gently
Thin barrette wear
Its all done.
Kuna Tiburtius
Un poème dédié à Chantal
Un mot
Un seul
Merci
d’avoir croisé mon chemin
en cours de route
Un mot
Un seul
Enrichie
d’une rencontre marquante
d’une chaleur
qui réchauffe le cœur
Un mot
Un seul
Inoubliable
d’un sourire accueillant
et si réconfortant
Un mot
Un seul
Regret
de te quitter pour
peut-être te retrouver
Un mot
Un seul
Espoir
de te revoir.
Ferne Latour
Love
I like the idea of love.
The best gift from above.
We can’t be without it,
Whatever they say.
I’ll take it at night,
I’ll take it by day.
I like the idea of love.
It’s one thing you can’t buy.
Yes you can, I won’t try.
I like the idea of love.
That’s best for me,
I love the idea of love!
Leona Olioff
Le corridor secret | The Secret Corridor
We have a couple of hours of discovery ahead of us, as we are off down the secret corridor… I am being transported to another time when the corridor was full of activity of comings and goings – all this activity goes to the background of a steady hum of noise….
You can open the corridor door and hide yourself inside and SHOUT!
The owner locks the building door, the elevator starts and as all the marginalized nameless workers go home. His friends come to see the exhibition and rooftop – keeping busy all night – until the owner unlocks the building and the artists return.
As I close my eyes and listen to the noises I begin to wonder are these hallways haunted?
I walk along the creaky corridor – holding my breath. Squeak, squeak, Oh! What a noise – alone and afraid!
Daniel Canty, Ferne Latour, Katherine M., Kuna Tiburtius, Laura
Kilcawley, Leona Olioff, Louise Jack, Sonia Alemian et Yvette Thuot
In progress / En cours : Ghost Conference / Conférence fantôme
At night, when all settles, the ghosts of people come through the walls who used to work in this factory and they share the stories of how hard the sweatshop wore on the people who tried to make a living.
The wall glows with different planets and shapes.
Ce mur me projette dans l’espace avec ses planètes, ses météores, etc.
… Mais je suis revenue vite sur terre lorsque mes yeux ont lu le mot « toilettes ».
On peut courir dans un corridor;
On peut marcher dans un corridor ;
On peut s’embêter dans un corridor s’il y a trop de monde.
Le plus agréable est un baiser brûlant en cachette avec celui qu’on aime !
Who or what am I?
I am old now, past my prime, neglected to a quiet corner, with time aplenty to ruminate on my past activity. There are days I find it hard to adjust to inactivity and a sedentary life – times when I want to be reborn, to start all over again. I realize, however, that such wish is not for me to determine, rather it be left to the lap of the Gods.
My object presently is not to belabour the worn-out feelings of old age, rather to recount my travels and the variety of people I have met. I should mention here that I am not the prime mover of my own destiny. If the truth be known, I have been banded about at the whim of others. As such I have been a keen observer. I have traveled the length and breadth of this country. When I’ve been to the country, particularly to farmhouses, I have often stayed the whole winter – you might call it a respite from the frenzy of the city life.
In traveling in this vast country of ours from sea to sea and more, I have spent time with the “high and mighty” as well as with the “down-and-outs” and with all shades in between. Needless to say, I’ve stayed in the best of hotels as well as in the humblest of homes. Keen observer that I have been, not forgetting my discerning, listening hear, methinks I will call a halt and continue my story another day. In so doing, I will soon discard the sense of unease or adjustment to inactivity I mentioned at the beginning of my tale!! My inner self is beginning to tell me that I’m on the threshold of umpteen stories to come!
In the meantime, I’m going to leave it to you, the reader, to discover who or what I am…I’m not a rare specimen, very commonplace in fact and you’ve come upon me many times…
Laura Kilcawley
Une belle histoire Ferne ! Des vieilles comme toi ; il en faudrait beaucoup plus.
Tu donnes le goût aux jeunes d’être avec nous ; une belle réalisation !
Yvette Thuot
* * *
The Parcel Workshops are a Parcel Lab cultural mediation initiative, and will take place over the course of three years. This project is launched in partnership with the Yellow Door’s Social Club (between March and June 2010). Participants will have the opportunity to discover different facets of OBORO via the imaginary, through writing methods presented by writers in residence, exhibition visits, meetings with artists and writing workshops.
jenna d. maclellan is both the project manager and cultural mediator of the Parcel Workshops.
Cultural mediator biography
Community-oriented and interdisciplinary artist, jenna d. maclellan has directed her artistic process to create a diverse sense of community. Recently, she completed a project promoting peace, petites mains pour la paix, with Canadian military personnel and a group of immigrant women at Petites-Mains. This Winter, she will be presenting an exhibition at Le Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec.