HISTOIRES D'INVINCIBLES Comes to Place des Arts

The Round Table on Black History Month has partnered with Place des Arts to present Histoires d'Invincibles, a captivating experience based on an original idea by Chilandre Patry and Maxime Saint-Juste. The works of the latter immerse us in a rich visual universe that highlights important historical figures. Milady Hartmann conceived the exhibition's scenography and created textile artworks, thus adding a remarkable artistic dimension to this presentation. This initiative aims to reach a broad audience in Quebec, offering them the opportunity to discover, through portraits and stories, often overlooked historical figures.

Designed for all ages, Histoires d’Invincibles offers an engaging approach to raise young people's awareness of the contributions of people of African descent to world history. To address the lack of representation, this exhibition highlights heroes with whom visitors can identify, embodying the diversity of the contributions made by great Black figures. The project aims to provide children, families, and schools in Quebec with an educational experience to enrich their imagination through inspiring stories.

The idea for this project emerged during the first phase of the lockdown, when Maxime Saint-Juste, an illustrator, began sharing drawings of characters to colour in order to keep his children occupied. The success he encountered on social media led to the creation of a larger project aimed at combining education and fun. Author Chilandre Patry explains: “We wanted to highlight often forgotten historical figures and create captivating stories with an international dimension and a great diversity of Black figures."

The exhibition showcases eleven major Afro-descendant figures, such as Yaa Asantewaa, the warrior queen of Ghana, Herbert Henry Carnegie, a pioneer of Canadian hockey, and Nzinga Mbande, the diplomat and queen of Angola. Other figures, like Viola Desmond, an icon of the fight against segregation in Canada, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of the Haitian revolution, will also be honoured. Videos from the NFB (National Film Board of Canada) and Historica Canada will further enrich the audience's experience.