Media for social change

Born and raised in Montreal, Meena Murgesan is a first-generation Canadian woman of South Indian origin. Her inter-disciplinary artistic practice is fueled by her passion for dance, visual imagery, personal transformation and social change. Through art, she creates, shares and encourages the expression of under-represented stories with the hope of re-balancing existing power dynamics within society.

Meena's hybrid choreographic vision stems from 22 years of training and performing the South Indian dance from Bharantha Natyam, 2 years of studying with contemporary African dance pioneer Zab Maboungou, a decade of creating visual imagery and five years of training in eastern energetic bodywork therapy. Meena toured internationally with the Nrithyalaya Dance Company under artistic director Vasantha Krishnan until 2000. Since 2004, she has performed her original choreographies and improvisational works in Montreal, New York, Niger, Chile and Brazil.

To find out more about Meena: www.meenakschi.ca

Pohanna Pyne is a sound artist living in Montreal and currently working on a Master's degree in Art History, focusing on community art practices. She has created a website, Inspire Art, archiving and promoting community art practices in Montreal: www.inspireart.org