A multidisciplinary artist, Annick Fleury evolves in stage decoration and heritage restoration while being deeply concerned by mental health issues. Trained in counseling, she has worked for 15 years in the social sector where she accompanies people with mental health problems in the exploration of their creative resources. Annick also contributes to the development of many artistic projects that are part of a global approach to health.

Halfway between artist and artistic mediator, MiLi has her own approach that reflects a mutual conversation between her inner worlds and the outside world. Her self-taught career as an illustrator and muralist took a major turn with her recent studies in the arts at UQAM and her community involvement. In particular, she explored photography, sculpture and relational and participatory art in addition to the development of artistic intervention projects with vulnerable populations and her participatory workshops at numerous festivals.

Montreal-based freelance percussionist Daniel Bellegarde has been contributing to the Quebec scene for over thirty years with countless collaborations.

A graduate of the University of Montreal in sociology and communications, since 2009 he has been involved in mental health with its Sound and Rhythm program. He perfected his skills at the University of Ottawa with several music therapists, including Bill Matney, on the therapeutic applications of percussion and its impact. In 2018, he was spokesperson for the Quebec Intellectual Disability Week for the Laval region.

Ginette Porlier joined the CAP team in 2001 in the Textile Printing Workshop. To date, she has held various positions at CAP. Since 2010 she has been the animator of the Atelier Textile. Multidisciplinary artist, inhabited by the certain desire to explore different mediums, these didactic works are transmitted in a creative, playful, ecological, cultural, social and sporting way. What is at the heart of his approach is to accompany each person in the actualization of the self in the present moment. From their creativity is born the harvest of better self-esteem, wonder, enthusiasm, well-being, hope for tomorrow. Mandate that she carries out with kindness, interest and great pleasure.

Marah Romanous feels blessed to be part of this great team and to participate in an extraordinary mission. Helping people is in her nature and she has done so during her career: from the collective kitchen to meals on wheels. In reality, Marah finds her roots in the community.

After college studies in social science and techniques and training in organization and office work, Mario held positions as an auxiliary and office worker in various provincial ministries. Arrived at the CAP in the fall of 2009 in the TRANSITION program, he has held the position of general clerk since April 2010. Among other things, Mario is responsible for reception, registrations and sales in store and online.

A humanist-oriented art therapist, Maude leads workshops at the CAP. Passionate about art and people, Maude has a background in dance, visual art, psychosocial intervention, psychology, and then completed a master’s degree in art therapy. She is interested in mind-body exploration and expression through art as a unique language of the self. For more than 30 years, her career as a dancer and art therapist has led her to collaborate on various dance, adapted art, cultural mediation and art therapy projects around the world.

Xavier Bonpunt has been managing CAP for 10 years. Visual artist by training, actor, painter, sculptor, set designer and art teacher, he has worked for social causes for 35 years, first in France, then in the West Indies and finally in Montreal, his home port since fifteen years. The inclusion of marginalized people through art is an alternative practice that drives him and in which he deeply believes. He strives to carry out the mission of the organization, surrounded by a creative and passionate team.

A graduate in philosophy and art education from Concordia University, Yvon Lamy is a founding member of the Parallel Learning Center of Montreal, opened on May 5, 1985. Former president of the association of arts therapists of Quebec, he is an active art therapist within the CAP for almost 40 years. Visual artist involved in the cultural scene of Terrebonne, he received the medal of the national assembly in 2020 for his essential contribution to the well-being of the community.
Yvon Lamy website: https://yvonlamy.com/

Sandra has been working in the education field for 22 years. After several years teaching English in the youth sector, Sandra decided to make the jump to adult education in 2010. Since then, she has been supporting adults wishing to re-enter the labor market. Sandra also works in private practice as a professional coach. His areas of expertise are professional retraining, career coaching, business pre-startup and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from Concordia University and a master’s degree in career science from UQÀM.

Born in France, Agathe Dessaux first studied Art History and Cultural Management in Spain, where she lived and worked for over 10 years.

Passionate about yarns and needles of all kinds, she moved to Montreal to study textile construction at the Montreal Centre for Contemporary Textiles, graduating in 2023, the same year she launched her own brand of vegan knitted accessories, La gang d’Henriette.

A textile artist and craftswoman with a wealth of experience in cultural mediation, she enthusiastically and sympathetically puts her weaving skills at the service of the CAP community.

Photo by Valentine Richy

Amaïa is a multi-disciplinary artist and teacher. She is thrilled to be able to combine these two passions in her work at CAP.
A firm believer in the transformative power of art, her preferred mediums include collage, painting and writing. She is currently pursuing a Certificate in Visual Arts at UQAM, after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at McGill University.

Malgosia Bajkowska is a visual artist and art consultant who lives and works in Montreal (born in Gdansk, Poland). After completing high school in Krakow, she immigrated to Canada. She has a degree in art and communications from the Université de Montréal. Malgosia has been working in the art world since 2000 as an exhibition curator and visual arts agent. She has curated over thirty exhibitions by emerging and established artists. She joins CAP in August 2023 as project manager for the moi m’aime event.

Diplômée en Sciences Politque, sociologie et relations ethniques, Nilza est la conseillère en employabilité du CAP. Forte de plusieurs années d’expérience dans le domaine communautaire, Nilza défend ses valeurs : l’empowerment, l’entraide, l’inclusion des personnes affectées par les inégalités dans une perspective de justice sociale. Selon elle, demander de l’aide n’est pas un signe de faiblesse, bien au contraire, c’est reconnaître qu’une personne peut vous aider à obtenir quelque chose qui vous manque. “Soyez ouvert à offrir votre effort pour conserver la symétrie réciproque”. 

Katia travaille dans le milieu communautaire depuis une dizaine d’années. Ses études en théâtre et en intervention à l’UQAM l’amènent à faire une Maîtrise en Dramathérapie et un programme de 2e cycle en thérapie par le jeu. Depuis, elle s’est donné comme mission de rendre accessible l’art et le théâtre et de faire connaître leur pouvoir de guérison et de changement social.Dans les dernières années, elle a travaillé auprès des jeunes en prévention au décrochage scolaire et en enseignement des arts. Elle intervient également auprès des élèves des classes d’accueil dans le cadre de différents projets de recherche en collaboration avec le département d’art thérapie de l’UQAT. Artiste multidisciplinaire, elle se passionne pour la marionnette, le collage et le théâtre playback. Elle fait partie des membres fondateurs du Festival Entractes qui a comme mission de mettre de l’avant le pratique émergentes.