In Québec City, L’Arche de la Capitale-Nationale is fostering a more inclusive society through an inspiring art project called Apprivoiser, developed together with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) and a Grade 4 class from École Saint-Yves.
This cultural mediation project invited people living with an intellectual disability to create, share and build connections with young students around the universal theme of the animal world. Together, they discovered how art can become a common language—an open space for meeting one another and fostering understanding.
“This project is so much more than an art workshop. It’s a human encounter and a shared learning experience. It’s inclusion brought to life through joy and creativity,” says the team at L’Arche de la Capitale-Nationale.
Creating Together, Building Connection and Pride
For nearly 50 years, L’Arche de la Capitale-Nationale has been fostering encounters between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through Apprivoiser, community members were able to express themselves, try out new creative techniques and share their talents with the wider community.
“Coming to the museum lets us be seen, lets us show who we are and prove we can create beautiful things just like others can,” shares one L’Arche participant, proud to see their work on display.
These words are a testament to the sense of confidence, pride and belonging fostered by projects like these, which go to the heart of L’Arche’s mission.
An Artful Collaboration with the MNBAQ
The Apprivoiser project was developed in partnership with Valérie Allard, head of school programming at the MNBAQ, and her team.
The workshops explored several forms of artistic expression, including:
• a fish made from modelling clay, inspired by artist Dan Brault
• a bird-themed collective mural, a tribute to the style of Jean-Paul Riopelle
• a collage using materials from nature, inspired by Wendat artist Mélanie Savard’s exhibition Premiers jours
The final piece—a large sky filled with migratory birds—symbolizes strength in numbers, solidarity and the beauty of living together.
“Like migratory birds, we move forward together, we support one another and learn to know each other better,” explains Valérie Allard of the MNBAQ.
Inclusion at the Heart of Culture
Through this partnership, L’Arche helps show that inclusion can come alive anywhere—at home, at school and in major cultural spaces. “Art becomes a meeting place where each person can express themselves and be recognized for their inner beauty,” the L’Arche team concludes.
🎥 Watch the Apprivoiser project video by Marco Dubé:
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