Collaborate
Be part of The Ground Beneath Us
Black Cartographies invites individuals and communities across Montréal to contribute to The Ground Beneath Us, an ongoing photography and research project exploring Black presence, memory, belonging and the spaces we inhabit.
We are interested in how people experience the city, the places that hold meaning in their lives, and how language, migration, history, and everyday experience shape their sense of belonging.
Your experiences and perspectives can help us build a richer understanding of Black Montréal, one that goes beyond conventional maps and official histories.
We are creating a photographic record of Black Montréal through portraits of the people who live here.
Portrait sessions are free, and participants will receive a digital copy of their photograph. Professionally printed portraits will also be available at an additional cost.
Ways
to participate.
Have your
portrait
taken
Where in Montréal do you feel at home? What places hold important memories? How have the neighbourhoods and communities around you changed?
Through conversations and oral-history interviews, we are gathering personal experiences of place, identity, migration, language and belonging.
We are interested in everyday experiences that rarely make it into official accounts of the city.
Share your story
Your story belongs to you. We believe that sharing personal experiences should be built on trust, openness and mutual respect.
Participation in The Ground Beneath Us is entirely voluntary. Before any photography, interview or recording takes place, we will explain how your contribution may be used, including in exhibitions, films, publications, online platforms and our developing archive.
We will discuss how you wish to be represented, including whether your name, image, voice or the places you identify may be shared publicly. You are free to decline questions, raise concerns or stop participating at any time during a session.
We will seek your informed consent before recording or publicly sharing your contribution. We will also explain any limitations on confidentiality and withdrawal, particularly once material has been published or distributed.
If you have questions about participation, consent or how your contribution will be used and stored, we welcome the opportunity to discuss them before you decide to take part.
What places matter to you?
From neighbourhoods and community spaces to streets, buildings and places of personal significance, we want to understand how Black Montréal is experienced, remembered and shaped by those who inhabit it.
These contributions will inform our developing research and mapping work, helping us consider what conventional maps reveal and what they leave out.
Help us map Black Montréal
Participation,
Consent
& Privacy
Let’s chat!
Whether you would like to have your portrait taken, share a personal experience, contribute your knowledge of Montréal, or explore another form of collaboration, we would like to hear from you.
Participation begins with a conversation. We can discuss your interests, answer your questions and establish what you feel comfortable contributing.
Get in touch and join the conversation.