« Donner une deuxième chance » is a project of artistic creation that attempts to provoke a reflection on the relationship between poverty, social exclusion and incarceration. Members will create one or more works from used, broken or defective items. The goal is to give a second chance to these objects in order to symbolically recreate the second chance that criminalized women ask of society as well as the second chance that these women must also give to society. Through art, this project aims to inspire change in our society in order for these women to no longer feel abandoned by it. The works will be accompanied by written thoughts on poverty and social exclusion. They will be presented at an exposition that will be accompanied by a round table discussion dealing with the experiences of the members as well as the value and socio-political implications of this project.

For more information, please contact Geneviève Fortin at the LEVIER office.

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In October 2009, following her engagement in Agir par l’imAGinaIRe and her experience with Crossing Communities in Winnipeg, Jessica MacCormack, multidisciplinary artist from Vancouver, created a project connecting criminalized women and professional artsists who have already worked in the carceral milieu. This initiative has become Art Entr’Elles, a collective of women artists who say NO to violence, poverty and intolerance. Supported financially by LEVIER, the group is in its third project of artistic creation. In past works, a series of post cards was created with the goal of distributing them for free in the city and making Montrealers happy. The collective also created a stop-motion animation film dealing with the roadblocks encountered by women upon release from prison. The participants have been working on a visual art project concerning itinerance and formed a new group in summer 2010 to create a street performance (gumboots dance and slam).

Long term, the collective hopes to become autonomous and receive regular financial support to become an artistic non-profit organization that will employ women who have had problems with the criminal justice system. It’s in this perspective that « Donner une deuxième chance » was create.