Fano Maddix: between tradition and innovation

Fano Maddix, an artist from the rich Acadian tradition, has settled in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton for a month as part of the traditional creation residence that takes place every April since 2014.

Describing himself as a “conteur,” Fano Maddix will spend the next few weeks enriching the content of his 3rd solo show titled “Les braises sous la peau.” He delves into the folklore tales from Acadia, where he grew up, scouring archives for stories collected from the 1950s to the 1980s. He aims to preserve these tales without altering the characters or plot.

In press releases, Fano Maddix is described as bridging tradition and innovation. He particularly enjoys stories with badass heroes, witches, and shapeshifters, characters that transform from human to animal, tree, or river.

His innovative approach extends to how he delivers these stories to the audience. He aims to keep ancient imagination alive while integrating contemporary elements into his storytelling. With a significant element of improvisation, he strays away from the centrally written text.

Fano Maddix plans to engage with the people of Caxton before presenting his work at a post-residence event on Sunday, April 26, at Mel et Nico’s place. He resides in Fred Pellerin’s residence and holds him in high regard as a master storyteller.

Identifying as queer, Fano Maddix finds solace in folk tales where queer representation is present. He believes that traditional tales offer a platform for diverse representation beyond normative gender identities.

The Artist in Residences program was launched in April 2014 by the Regroupement du conte au Québec (RCQ) to offer support to creators. Fred Pellerin, a renowned storyteller, provides his former home in Saint-Élie-de-Caxton as a residence for storytellers.

The list of storytellers in residence includes Claudette L’Heureux in 2014, Yves Robitaille in 2015, Mafane in 2016, Les Prétendants in 2017, Françoise Crête in 2018, Céline Jantet in 2019, Pierre Labrêche in 2021, Nadyne Bédard in 2023, Serge-Yvan Bourque in 2024, and Isabelle Crépeau in 2025.