In this episode, Anna Shah Hoque rounds off Season 3 with a chat with the fabulous guest producers of Season 3: Aedan Corey, Keegan Prempeh, Kole Peplinskie, Summer Harmony-Twenish and Matt Miwa.  

They dive into how they have cultivated their art practices in Odawa, the push and pull relationship between sustaining a creative practice in a neoliberal capitalist economy, and how and each of their respective communities. 

Thank you so much for joining us this season! Thank you to all the participants! What has been your favourite conversation? We hope you have a great summer! 

Participants: 

Aedan Corey  

Aedan Corey is a Two Spirit writer, visual artist, emerging curator and Inuit tattooist from Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut — a town of approximately 1,800 people. Author and illustrator of the chapbook “Inuujunga” (Coven Editions, 2021) and short story “Unikkaannguaq” (Nipiit Magazine, 2020), they began creating art at a young age. Aedan’s work is heavily inspired by their lived experiences as a queer, neurodivergent Inuk. Their goal is always to inspire and advocate for those within their communities through their artistic practices, letting others know that they are not alone. Aedan currently resides on the unceded Algonquin territory known as Ottawa. Check out Aedan’s work on Instagram @uviluq_by_design 

Matt Miwa  

Matt Miwa (he/him) hails from Aurora, Ontario. He moved to Ottawa in 2000 to attend theatre school. Matt maintains a theatre creation and performance art practice.  Prior to the pandemic, Matt toured his theatre piece “The Tashme Project: The Living Archives” across Canada (with co-creator Julie Tamiko Manning). This play traces the oral histories of twenty Japanese Canadian elders. Matt and Julie hope to perform this play for the rest of their lives.  Matt's dedication to this play is indicative of his broader love and appreciation for the Japanese Canadian community with whom he frequently works.  Most recently, Matt produced the event “Tomoni/Go Together” with CUAG.  Tomoni unites Japanese cultural practitioners with local non-Japanese artists in unique and surprising artistic collaborations.  @miwa.light.house   

Kole Peplinskie  

Kole Peplinskie (they/them) is an Anishinabe beader and artist currently living on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory, colonially known as Ottawa. They are a member of Kebaowek First Nation, but were raised in North Bay, ON until moving here over a decade ago.  Kole has been creating art in various capacities their whole life, but more professionally starting in 2018. They primarily create beadwork pieces through the brand Rustling Pine (@/rustlingpine on Insta), and have had their piece "Grassroots" shown at Carleton University Art Gallery in 2020 and another piece titled "Trancestors Embrace" at Take Home Gallery in Manitoba in 2021.   

Keegan Prempeh  

Keegan Prempeh is a Black, non-binary Sagittarius sun on a journey of self-discovery, radical transformation and healing. Xe practices xer art on Anishinaabe territory via music, dance and storytelling. Guided by womanism, collectivism and the pursuit of social justice, Keegan hopes to foster meaningful connections to build community.  IG @wefallforever 

Summer-Harmony Twenish  

Summer is an Algonquin person from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg who works from a queer and Indigenous feminist lens. With vibrant and playful colours, Summer's digital art and illustrations carry both Indigenous cultural traditions and self-determined visions of what's to come. Their creative expression is breathtakingly tender and fiercely anti-colonial, amplifying body positivity and Indigenous liberation. Their digital arts and illustrations are intended to be lovingly held up as mirrors for Indigiqueer femmes, reflecting back their beauty, brilliance and radical joy. Follow them on Instagram @nibinikwe.