Aïcha Bastien-N’Diaye, from the Huron-Wendat Nation, was introduced to movement through Guinean traditional dance while growing up in Wendake. Naturally blending her strong cultural influences, her passion for the physicality and expressiveness of dance quickly led her to pursue professional training at L’École de danse de Québec.
Using her voice to inspire her communities, both on social media and on stage, Aïcha sees movement as a powerful tool for change and innovation.
A multidisciplinary artist, she showcased her work "Dance Your Anxiety Away" in an installation by Slow Factory at MoMA PS1 in New York. She has also performed in Émilie Monnet’s play Marguerite, Le Feu. More recently, she opened for Caroline Monnet at the Indigenous Futurism fashion show at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, co-hosted seasons 2 and 3 of Décoloniser l’histoire, a web series produced by Picbois Productions, and co-directed the show YAHWATSIRA’, presented at the Carrefour International de Théâtre.As co-founder and artistic director of Studio Le Feu, she is currently focused on directing and creating visuals within the artistic and commercial industries.
Aïcha Bastien-N'Diaye
Afoali Ngwakum Akisa is a Montreal-based creative mind, storyteller, and founder of 9:16 Stories, a video production company specializing in emotionally resonant, goal-driven narratives. Inspired by her father’s love for capturing family memories, Afoali turned her passion for storytelling into a thriving career, helping businesses and creators cut through the digital noise with content that connects and drives results.
Her work has delivered measurable impact across industries. Afoali’s expertise helped Swab the World raise over $232,000 through social media campaigns, secured $614,000 in funding for Sayaspora’s mission to empower African women, and supported Juno in raising $300,000 to innovate menstrual health solutions. Known for blending creativity and strategy, Afoali ensures that her clients’ stories resonate and inspire action.
In her workshops, Afoali empowers participants to create engaging content that not only captures attention but delivers real results. By sharing practical techniques, creative insights, and actionable strategies, she equips business owners, marketers, and creators with the tools to stand out in today’s crowded content landscape.
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Passionate about music and technology, Youri Dominique has been evolving at the intersection of these two worlds for over two decades. First recognized as a member of the Rainmen duo, who left their mark on the Quebec hip-hop scene with the 1998 album Armageddon, he then turned his career towards change management and artificial intelligence.
His expertise has led him to support organizations in a variety of sectors -culture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, utilities, agrifood, transportation, retail- in helping them integrate AI into their processes. He has also carried out AI strategic intelligence mandates for key players in the music industry, such as ADISQ and AMUQ.
In 2020, he founded HITstory, a platform dedicated to connecting and discovering artists. Today, with his partner GeniusXR, he is working on DJ Pool.club and the integration of HITstory into UVRSE, an app that will use AI to optimize music matching and recommendations. This project aims to open up new opportunities for creators and promote fairer access to music.
Committed to innovation, Youri's main aim is to build concrete solutions to support artists and professionals in an ever-changing landscape.
Moridja Kitenge Banza, Chairman of the Board of Culture Montréal and a Canadian artist of Congolese origin born in Kinshasa in 1980, is a graduate of the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Kinshasa, the École des Beaux-Arts de Nantes Métropole and the Université de La Rochelle. Winner of the grand prize at the DAK'ART Biennial in 2010, he was awarded the Prix Sobey in 2020. His work has been presented at the AGO, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the National Gallery of Canada, the Phi Foundation and internationally. His work can be found in many public and corporate collections, including BMO, RBC and TD Bank.
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