The Quebec government is providing $13.5 million to the École nationale de l’humour to help it acquire a building in Montreal’s Quartier Latin, where it will be relocated.
The Minister of Culture and Communications, Mathieu Lacombe, made the announcement Friday morning.
The building of the École nationale de l’humour, established on Sherbrooke Street East, in the Sainte-Marie district, has become “unsuitable and too small” to maintain activities at this time, it is explained in a government press release. The institution has been established at this location since 2004.
The new building will allow the school to “benefit from a modern and functional environment” in order to train the comedians of the future.
As part of the relocation project, the school’s new buildings will be renovated and their heritage qualities will be highlighted, it was specified.
The government indicates in its press release that this new address will also help to revitalize the Latin Quarter, affected by many departures in recent years.
“This project, which is part of our vision of revitalizing the Latin Quarter, will transform this sector into a vibrant hub of cultural activity, while providing the National School of Humor with the means to continue to shine well beyond our borders,” emphasized Minister Mathieu Lacombe.
Louise Richer, founding director general of the National School of Humor, spoke of “immense news” for the institution.
“Thanks to this new space, we will be able to continue to innovate with passion, diversify our approaches and enrich the cultural life of Quebec, in addition to continuing our incursions into educational environments, including francization, and into both corporate and community work environments,” she said.