Poet cries censorship
Spoken word artist Batiste Foisy says his work was rejected by NWT Arts because of political stance in his videos
Dana Bowen
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 26, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
What was meant to be a French spoken word artist's attempt at expressing his inner thoughts got axed from the NWT Arts website.
Spoken word artist Batiste Foisy disagrees with the NWT Arts' rejection of his spoken word videos to an online database. - Dana Bowen/NNSL photo |
Poet Batiste Foisy tried to upload two videos of his spoken word pieces to the website earlier this month, but several back and forth conversations between the artist and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment ended in a refusal to publish his work.
"The NWT Arts Program's (and all of the GNWT) content is open to all ages, therefore, we cannot publish anything that has profanity, pornography or takes a political stance," stated an e-mail explaining why Foisy's content was not put online.
"We, as an entity, must remain politically neutral, and our content must reflect that,"
NWT Arts posts profiles of artists across the territory on its website with backgrounds on who they are, photos and may include samples of the artist's work. The database has been available online since 2004, but artists have been able to submit their own work since March 2014.
"It came as a surprise. I didn't suspect they would take my art off their site," said Foisy. "When I saw the e-mail that said we have to filter for political stuff, I thought, maybe I should talk about it."
The videos Foisy submitted were both in French. While one discussed the effect of colonialism in the North, the other Foisy said was just a poem with references to pop culture. He mentions the names of several politicians, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, along with pop culture figures Woody Allen and Marilyn Monroe. After each name he states a word, some of which could be considered insulting.
"If you are asking me 'what political statement (have) you made?' I would be like, 'well I wrote a poem,'" said Foisy.
While Foisy said the department would not publish his work because of the political content in his pieces, a second e-mail explains it is because his use of profanity.
"Your submission was reviewed by a qualified interpreter who identified the use of profanity in the two videos. For that reason, they were not posted," the e-mail states.
The work was sent in French, which is Foisy's native language. This delayed NWT Arts' response for a few weeks because an interpreter was required to read over the work and translate it, delaying the response.
Foisy acknowledged swear words appeared in both videos, but feels the situation could have been handled differently.
He said he thinks it could have still been posted with a warning letting viewers know there is explicit language within the content.
"I think in the end, they didn't claim I made any political stance, but it was more about profanity," said Foisy.
"I feel like at first they said it was too political, it couldn't be on the website."
He said the web administrators have since changed their story and said they were dismissing his work because it includes profanity.
Foisy has since retracted his membership from NWT Arts.
When asked about NWT Arts' policy on posting political content, Leslie Campbell, senior communications director said, "We are reviewing guidelines at this time and these will be posted to the NWT Arts website as soon as possible."
It doesn't matter to him if his work is promoted through the website, said Foisy, but he wonders how many other peoples' work was rejected for similar reasons.
Campbell said to her knowledge and others at the organization, all (other) submissions have been accepted, but they are "are reviewed on a case-by-case basis."
"Their job is to promote art," said Batiste. "Art is the one thing we need free speech with the most. If artists aren't free to talk
then who is?"
