Committed to Creative Projects that Go Beyond the Scope of their Studies

“An innocent being has been killed. The giant lark, whose entrancing song stops time in the hearts of all those who stop to listen. The bird has been plucked! We must find the culprit!” You may have already heard these words, fervently exclaimed by a group of enthusiastic students. If you have, then you must have been in Old Québec at the outdoor stage in Artillery Park, which reverberated to the rhythms of the play Alouette, je te raconterai… from 29 June to 3 August 2007. The theatrical work sprang from the creative minds of the Collectif de création In Situ. “The Collectif de crÈation In Situ’s art project brings to light just how important courage and audacity can be for young artistes who wish to carve out a place for themselves in a highly competitive field,” points out Irène Roy, theatre professor in the department of literature at Université Laval.

In Situ was born of the artistic determination of six students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in theatre at Université Laval: Marie-Hélène Bélanger-Dumas, Keven Dubois, Anne-Marie Dumontier, Yohan Marcotte, Odré Simard and Priscilla Simard.

The students worked steadfastly on their project for a whole year. “We quickly realized that we were going far beyond the scope of our studies but decided to commit wholeheartedly to our artistic creation,” recalls Marie-Hélène. “We wanted our work to be comparable to what was being done in professional theatre circles.”

From the start, the members of the Collectif agreed that they would create a performance inspired by the past history of Artillery Park. “We weren’t aiming to produce a sweeping historic epic, but rather a theatrical creation focusing on the park’s more poetic and sensory aspects,” says Marie-Hélène.

They then established a partnership with Parks Canada, the federal agency that administers the site. “As artists who had not yet entered the job market, they needed a great deal of nerve for their project to be accepted by Parks Canada and to prove that they had the necessary skills to carry out all the production stages of a play,” maintains Mrs. Roy.

The members of the Collectif pleasantly surprised their teachers, to say the least. “I experienced a great feeling of satisfaction working with this talented, motivated, dynamic and very organized team. As for the artistic accomplishment, it went beyond my expectations and I was impressed by the Collectif’s overflowing creativity,” adds Mrs. Roy.

The Director of the theatre program at Université Laval Robert Faguy for his part points out: “I was extremely impressed by the energy and effort the Collectif devoted to carrying this great creative adventure through to a successful conclusion. Despite numerous pitfalls, the members regained their composure and rolled up their sleeves in order to make sure it was a success that wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

He goes one step further adding: “Each and every member of the Collectif has gained from their experience working on this ambitious project and it has had a very positive impact on their practical work over the last academic year. I believe it will continue to be an exemplary project.” Pleased with their first experience, the members of the Collectif de crÈation In Situ are getting ready to launch a second similar project, another original creation that will no doubt draw inspiration from the venue where they choose to present it.