As the inspiring 2012 student strike expands into a broader social movement, the Howl! Arts Collective will be holding an outdoor concert and artistic intervention, Rêve Général Illimité. The event aims to celebrate the creative spirit in the streets during the Québec student uprsing and to draw attention to, and support for, the ongoing strike.

Rêve Général Illimité will include musical and theatrical performances, visual art installations, a screen-printing station, all inspired by the Québec student strike.

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Graphic by Nazik Da

Howl! Arts is very excited to be launching Stefan Christoff‘s musical solidarity project, Duets for Abdelrazik, this coming tuesday at Casa del Popolo as part of the Suoni per il Popolo festival. The project aims to support Abousfian Abdelrazik‘s continued struggle for justice after being jailed (without charge) and tortured in Sundan on the recommendation of CSIS in 2003. For years, he has faced countless assaults by the Sudanese and Canadian governments to both his person, his livelihood, and his dignity. Major grassroots campaigns in the US and Canada led to his return to Canada in 2009, and his eventual removal from the UN’s blacklist in 2011.

The album brings together a host of renowned Montreal-based musicians (including Peter Burton, Rebecca Foon, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, Norman Nawrocki, and Sam Shalabi) alongside Stefan Christoff on piano for a series of beautiful and inspiring duets that seek to speak to the injustice Abdelrazik suffered, pay tribute to his struggle, and celebrate the victories of grassroots solidarity.

Facebook event page here.

Download a free track off the album here.

via my loves at Howl! Arts. Photo by Thien.

And it’s diamonds and gold for the idiot sons
All the privileged thieves gonna make things run
Well I believe in heart and apocalypse sound
You kick em in the head and you kick em when they’re down
And you don’t serve them
You don’t serve them
You don’t serve the people…

To coincide with the launch of Patrick Watson‘s latest album, Adventures in Your Own Backyard, I recently revamped his website with production and dev by Ombilicus Mundi. I’ve always been greatly inspired by Watson’s cinematic music, and the goal of this design was simple; showcase the music and get out of the way. We did just that, devising a docking content column that sits on top of full-screen videos, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the experience.

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This coming Friday, Howl! Arts will be presenting a performance by renowned radical graphic artist Seth Tobocman, launching his latest book Understanding the Crash. Seth’s work as an artist and organiser has been central to social justice struggles over the last three decades, from the squatters movement in New York’s Lower East side in the 80s, the anti-globalisation movement in the 90s, the Palestinian solidarity movement, mobilizing support in new Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, to the Occupy movement today. We’re very excited to be bringing this important artist/activist to Montreal alongside author Eric Laursen.

Local musicians Marathon, and the Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble, whose raucous music has animated countless protests and rallies, will also be performing.

More info on Howl! Arts.

RSVP on facebook.

For the weekend, a beautiful song by local songstress Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, and a beautiful video by my bud Emily Kai Bock.

Some musical inspirartion for the new year from Lupe Fiasco.