The 2026 Guest Curatorship is open to applications until March 19th. The selected candidated will be mentored by Moe Clark.
A component of QWF’s Fresh Pages Diversity Initiative, the Guest Curatorship is designed to help an aspiring literary artist who is Black, Indigenous, or a person of colour develop skills in creating and curating literary and other arts events. The selected candidate receives a modest honorarium and a free one-year membership in QWF.
The selected candidate works with an experienced mentor to curate their own edition of the Words and Music Show, QWF’s literary cabaret and musical performance series. The mentor provides one-on-one guidance to support the curator in developing the event, from defining its scope to selecting and inviting performers, gathering bios and other info, writing press releases, and structuring and presenting a live show. The show typically presents poets, writers, performers, and musicians, and in the past has branched out to include, circus artists, magicians and comics from time to time. The guest curator can create a theme-based presentation or a simple variety show.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must live in Quebec and be Indigenous, Black, or a person of colour.
- Applicants should have already demonstrated an interest in presenting either their own work in public presentations or in creating a literary, musical or other arts event.
- There is no age or publication requirement.
- Candidates who have already curated more than three public events, or who work for an event creation agency or company, are not eligible.
2026 Timeline:
- Call for applications: February 19, 2026
- Deadline for applications: March 19, 2025
- Notification of results: April 2026
- Public show: Fall 2026
The 2026 Guest Curator
Alexandra Apple is a writer and multidisciplinary storyteller based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. As the daughter of a Mohawk mother and Jewish father, her work explores identity, desire and the complexities of living between worlds.
The 2026 Mentor
câpihtawikosisâniskwêw (Michif/mixed-settler) multidisciplinary artist Moe Clark (she/they) is a 2Spirit singing thunderbird. Born and raised in Treaty 7, they are a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Currently they reside as a guest in Tio’tiá:ke/Mooniyang/Montreal, where she works as an artist and educator. A dedicated nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree language) and Michif language learner, Moe collaborates intimately with Elders and knowledge keepers to advance language resurgence through song-based practices. She works across disciplines of vocal improvisation, spoken word, sound design, land-based oskapêwis facilitation (ceremonial Elder apprenticeship), and performance creation to create work that centres embodied knowledge, 2Spirit Indigenous resurgence, and creative kinship.
Moe’s last solo album, Within, toured across North America, and her collaborative video poem “nitahkôtân” won best Indigenous language music video at the ImagiNative film festival. Moe’s poem “committing a dream / pawâkan Palestine” won QWF’s 2024 Ian Ferrier Spoken Word Prize. Since 2017 she’s hosted mâmawi musique, a weekly podcast on Espaces Autochtones, highlighting Indigenous music around the globe. Moe co-founded Weather Beings, a 2Spirit International performance collective with Mâori artist Victoria Hunt, examining intersections of Métis wâhkôhtowin and Mâori whakapapa (kinship systems) by asserting a critical position to reclaim, restore and rematriate feminine and queer knowledges into performance practices.
Recently, Moe completed their Master of Arts at Concordia University. In 2025 Clark was awarded a Concordia University Social Justice Fellow and was the recipient of a Certificate of Excellence from the National Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research for her innovative Master’s work centering 2Spirit resurgence and healing through drum song practices. Moe has performed the world over, including the Lincoln Centre (US), Sydney Opera House (Australia) and Origins Festival in London (UK).
Links:
- Listen: https://moeclark.bandcamp.com/
- Look + listen: “wîyâtikwêwin (joy)” video clip
- Visit: https://www.instagram.com/moeclark/
Past Guest Curators and Mentors
2025
Star Bunzigiye was the guest curator, mentored by Kym Dominique-Ferguson
2024
Jayda Smith was the guest curator, mentored by Tawhida Tanya Evanson
2023
There was no guest curator in 2023.
2022
Ceta Gabriel was the guest curator, mentored by Jason Camlot
2021
Avleen Kaur Mokha, also known by her creative alias Mirabel, was the guest curator, mentored by Ian Ferrier
2020
Prakash Krishnan was the guest curator, mentored by Ian Ferrier
