Cultural Back to School | Cultural activities at low prices

A host of suggestions, grouped by discipline, to enjoy the low-cost culture of autumn.

Festivals

Summer is winding down, but outdoor festivals continue. The Old Port of Montreal will host the AfroMonde Festival (celebrating artists from Afro-descendant communities) and the Shérif Festival (featuring country stars Brittany Kennell, Laurence St-Martin and Francis Degrandpré).

In addition to its movement and dance reading workshops, the Quartiers Danses Festival includes an urban component. Local, Quebec and international dance companies will perform in all four corners of the city.

And let’s not forget the sixth TEMPÉO Danse et Musique event (free dance), the eighth edition of Lumifest Longueuil (digital art) and the Indigenous Open Mic at Place des Arts (with guest curator Nina Segalowitz), which will also be accessible for free or at a mini-price.

AfroMonde Festival, September 12-15, 2024. Shérif Festival, September 19-22. Quartiers Danses Festival, September 5-14. TEMPÉO Dance and Music, September 10-15. Lumifest Longueuil, September 26-28. Indigenous Open Mic, November 9-10.

Museums

Almost all museums have their own accessibility program (free admission by age group, during the holidays, the first Sunday of the month or in the evening, etc.) and their own menu of additional activities grafted onto their exhibitions. At the Musée d’art contemporain, the single admission fee is set at $10. There is no shortage of installations to visit: new galleries dedicated to Inuit art in November at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), observation of paper art (Of thread and paper) at the Musée des métiers d’art du Québec (MUMAQ), a tribute to black Montreal women of the 19th century^e century (To all those women who were not named) at the McCord Stewart Museum…

Theater

Theaters often offer packages and substantial discounts.

The Théâtre du Rideau Vert has introduced discounts for those 30 and under, 65 and over, and audiences of mixed abilities. At La Licorne, the prices of some plays under $30 include beer and snacks.

At Espace Libre, the Perpendicular Activities (conferences, film club) complementary to the programming are free. A revised price list allows you to choose your entry price according to your budget. On October 5, The Asian Open Micin the series Les éphémères du hall du Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, will be open to all.

A fun way to enjoy another kind of theatre: the outdoor improvisation matches of the Ligue nationale d’improvisation (LNI). Next event with, among others, Sylvie Moreau and Nicolas Pinson: September 20, at St. Mark Park, in Longueuil.

Movie theater

Cinema can also be affordable, outside of our beloved digital platforms!

The Outremont Theater presents screenings at ridiculous prices as part of its Ciné-Outremont evenings and its Ciné-Récré mornings. Films from here (Lucy Grizzli Sophieby Anne Émond) and elsewhere, subtitled in French (Dead leavesby Aki Kaurismäki, The area of ​​interestby Jonathan Glazer), are on the fall schedule.

The Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) will celebrate its 20th anniversary with its usual discussion panels, where we will discuss the evolution of black cinema, diversity in castings and Afrofuturism. Film screenings will be held in some cultural centers. The illustrious filmmaker Spike Lee takes on the role of honorary president.

Literature

Word lovers know the International Festival of Literature (FIL), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is home to a beautiful array of gems with free or low-cost admission ($11, $15 or $20). This year’s highlight is the exhibition Over the course of our 30 yearsat the Galerie de l’Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme, will recall the highlights of the FIL over the past three decades.

At the end of October, the 26^e Public Libraries Week will be held under the theme “My thousand and one library” faces”, with the aim of promoting libraries, their staff, their users… and, of course, the thousands of books that furnish them.

International Literature Festival, September 18-28. Public Libraries Week, October 19-26.

Temporary exhibitions

Pop-up exhibitions, where you can wander around with empty pockets, are popular.

For the first time in Montreal, the Sony World Photography Awards (Promenade des Artistes in the Quartier des Spectacles, until October 14) exhibits a selection of more than 145 of the best international photographs.

The tours of the fourth Galeries Weekend Montréal (September 26 to 29) will involve 27 galleries, spaces and artist centers based on the best of contemporary art to introduce works and artists to the public.

Then, a collaboration between PHI and Place des Arts, which is hosting the event (October 16 to February 23), will culminate in the digital fresco by Montreal creator Félix & Paul Studios, specializing in virtual and augmented reality, in the form of an animated book narrated by award-winning author Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens. The project was unveiled for the first time at the 80^e Venice Film Festival, in 2023.

Sony World Photography Awards, until October 14. Galeries Weekend Montreal, September 26-29. Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens at Place des Arts, from October 16, 2024 to February 23, 2025.

Humor

An economical tip for attending a comedy show is to catch a comedian during his or her test performances. In the fall, Alexandre Champagne, Martin Perizzolo, and Sam Cyr & Marylène Gendron (who share the microphone in two 45-minute performances each), among others, test out equipment in the theater. Take advantage! The comedy evenings at the various comedy clubs (Bordel, Terminal, etc.) also provide hilarious entertainment at low cost.

Television

For television fans here, it is easy to experience being on a film set by slipping into the audience, for example, Masked singers, It ends the week well, Zenith or the variety of Star Academy. The company Public Cible takes care of recruiting spectators for different recordings of your favorite shows, and this, without costing you a penny. New episodes of For once, The vigilantes, Awesome, Tongue in my pocket And Children of TV will also be filmed soon.

Family

Let’s not forget the little ones!

The “Place des Arts junior” section of the Quartier des spectacles complex offers them interesting performances that promote local culture. It will cost around twenty dollars to see The Halloween Ball (and its pumpkin reel!), on October 27, and Lionel and Mary (honoring the repertoires of La Bolduc and Lionel Daunais), November 17.

A concert by the Petits violons (with voluntary contribution), at the Saint-Pierre-Apôtre church, under the direction of Marie-Claire Cousineau (November 5 and December 3), will perhaps inspire your budding little music lovers.

In Laval, the percussive dance troupe Zeugma Danse has concocted the tale The hedgehogwhich will tour the city’s parks in mid-September. And the youth dance group Bouge de là is back with a new opus, A cloud in my bellysome of which will be performed in cultural centres in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The hedgehogby Zeugma Danse, in Laval, September 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15