Two immigrant celebrate success

The Winnipeg Arts Council and IRCOM, along with artists Ervin Chartrand and Jim Agapito, will celebrate the completion of a WITH ART project with a world premiere of the documentary and rap video project Live from ‘95 on Thursday, July 30, 2009.



The evening will begin at 9 pm at Cinematheque Theatre in Artspace for the documentary screening and then move to Old Market Square at 10 pm to experience the rap video in the open-air theatre, part of the Exchange BIZ’s presentation of “Moonlight Movies.”



A project of the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Public Art Program, WITH ART brings together communities and professional artists to collaborate in giving voice to the community through art.



IRCOM (Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba) is a non-profit organization located on Ellen Street in downtown Winnipeg that provides transitional housing and delivers social and recreation programs to newly arrived refugees and immigrants to Canada. Artists Jim Agapito and Ervin Chartrand have been working with the youth of IRCOM over the past year on a music video that explores life at 95 Ellen Street, written and performed by the youth themselves. The artists and the youth also worked with Winnipeg music stars to create the video including hip-hop artist Wab Kinew and choreographer Dammecia Hall.



Meanwhile the artists made a documentary about the process, capturing both the challenges and rewards experienced by the youth prior to and since arriving in Winnipeg. Together the films are a glimpse of the realities of newcomer life for young people in Winnipeg.