The Quebec Writers’ Federation and le Conseil des arts de Montréal are pleased to announce the recipients of the One Planet, Countless Wor(l)ds project grants: Erin Lindsay and Stephanie Merulla!
Erin and Stephanie will each receive a grant of $11,000 to develop their projects, which will take place over the summer and fall of 2024 and launch later this year.
Erin’s project, “Constellations,” incorporates experimental storytelling, poetry, and 3D imaging to create a collective digital and oral storytelling map. In partnership with Kirkland and Dollard-des-Ormeaux public libraries, Erin will hold a two-part workshop series about place and memory at each library, inviting locals to reflect on their place in the world and their communities. She then plans to create a 3D-printed fictional planet and digital storytelling map based on participants’ work. At the end, a celebratory 5 à 7 will be held at each library to unveil the final work.
Stephanie’s project, “The Neighbourhood,” blends local and oral history into an immersive narrative podcast. In partnership with Montreal West and Beaconsfield public libraries, Stephanie will conduct interviews with locals from each community, weaving their stories into four fictionalized narratives that grapple with questions of identity, community, and belonging. The project will culminate in a communal listening experience, with audience members listening to the show while following the story’s journey by foot.
About the Artists
Erin Lindsay is a hybrid-forms writer, poet, and dramaturg with a background in theatre and performance. Erin values care, collaboration, interdisciplinarity, experimentation, and digital and poetic approaches to creation. Erin holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC, is a current PhD candidate in Concordia’s Individualized Program, and collaborates often as a dramaturg with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal. Erin’s hybrid-forms work, Liz, was selected for the Banff 2024 Playwrights’ Lab, and she is currently working on another word for care, a print and new media book about the impact of AI technologies on long-term care.
Stephanie Merulla is an award-winning theatre artist and playwright known for crafting interactive experiences that blend analogue and digital storytelling. With a background in performance and extensive cross-disciplinary collaborations, her projects push the boundaries of theatre through immersive, audience-engaging experiences. Recently, she participated in the Arts et les Libres program at the Société des Arts Technologiques and collaborated with Live Action Theatre Company on Meet Me, which won the 22/23 META award for Outstanding Contribution to Theatre.
Development for “The Neighbourhood” is currently underway, with the show’s launch scheduled for October.
Work on “Constellations” is slated to begin in September. The 5-à-7 launch event with Kirkland Public Library is tentatively planned to be held on November 14, and with Dollard-des-Ormeaux Public Library on December 9.
Thank you to our partners for supporting this initiative:
