Panel | Black Gxrl Sesh: Art, Community, and Transformation

The panel “Art, Community, and Transformation” highlights personal stories and the powerful connections that bind them.

In a world marked by systemic anti-trans and anti-Black violence, in Quebec and elsewhere, art and community remain ancestral forces of resistance and transformation.

By making space for practices and systems of life and survival, the guests will explore Black creativity and imagine what a Black and trans future might look like for generations to come.

This is a free event; no registration is required.

Chivengi (host)
Chivengi is a Haitian-Canadian singer-songwriter, producer, and multidisciplinary artist based in Montreal. By blending ambient compositions with introspective R&B lyrics, she seeks to invite her audience to a moment of self-reflection.

Her recent works include: DULCE (Offta, Toronto Dance Theatre, Tangente), Mitsubishi (live), a video performance available for continuous viewing on her website http://chivengi.world, as well as her curatorial work for the ballroom collective and creative studio Black Gxrl Sesh, of which she is a co-founder.

Kije Amour (panelist)
Kije Amour first made a name for herself on the Kiki Ballroom scene with a pure, seductive voguing style that quickly set her apart from the rest. She then expanded her artistic repertoire to include pole dancing under the name Butterfly, where she is now acclaimed for her captivating, sensual performances and evocative stripteases.

Rooted in street dance, Kije moves with an instinctive flow; freestyling effortlessly and bringing an authentic, magnetic presence to every performance & stage.

Zawadi Wal (panelist)
Zawadi is a computer engineer and educator who is dedicated to making technology more accessible to marginalized communities. Through workshops such as “Divesting from Big Tech 101” and “The Terminal for Artists,” her work demystifies technology and empowers people to take ownership of it.

Having recently left the traditional tech sector, she is currently working on redesigning a digital platform for the Queer African Network, a social network that connects queer Africans around the world.

Belen Blizzard (panelist)
Belen Blizzard (they/them) is an artist, poet, and community organizer based in Tiohta:ke, Montreal.