Bien reçu (No Hard Feelings) by Michael Martini et invité.e.s

Conceived and hosted by Michael Martini, this interdisciplinary performance fuses contemporary dance with elements of reality TV. The participants compete in a series of contemporary dance improvisations. At each stage, they vote privately to decide who to eliminate. The last person standing receives the only available artist's fee. Inspired by dynamics that are equally competitive and communal (Vogue balls, sports), the work questions with dry humour the possibility of having fun in a competitive context. All the while, the current climate of scarcity in the arts and culture sector colours the game at hand.

Since his education in playwriting, Michael Martini has anchored himself in Montréal's queer and interdisciplinary milieu. He creates work for a variety of contexts, from the black box to the video screen, from public space to the cabaret. His practice is marked by a DIY (Do It Yourself) approach: layering text, video, participatory elements and dress-up. Presented as a laboratory at OFFTA 2024, his show "What if Hansel Consented to Being Baked Alive?" has since propelled his practice internationally.

For its 19th edition, the OFFTA has invited Michael to present a public work in line with its partnership with Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles.