This text is part of the special Francophonie booklet
Misfortune is good for something, even when this one looks like a global pandemic, because it has forced a time of pause and reflection. Creators from all artistic fields have been affected — and perhaps even more so than others.
For the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF), it was an opportunity to continue its work of defending and promoting the arts and culture within the Canadian Francophonie, dispersed from one end of the country. From Vancouver to Moncton via Quebec City and Winnipeg, the daily realities, as well as the production contexts, are not the same.
Before the Summit on the rapprochement of Canadian Francophonies was held in June 2021 under the leadership of Sonia Lebel, Minister responsible for Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie of the Legault government, the FCCF and the Conseil québécois du théâtre had decided to… put the table. Indeed, with the Table sur l’avenir des arts (TADA!), and as the gloom set in due to COVID-19, the time was right to stimulate discussion and come up with concrete proposals. This was done with the introduction of the TADA accelerator!
The experience of a face-to-face play cannot replace a digital performance. But there are models that are beginning to date, and which deserve a new lease of life.
“More than 100 participants in our 4 working groups expressed a deep desire to collaborate more,” recalls Marie-Christine Morin, General Manager of the FCCF. The TADA accelerator! will ensure that these ideas are structured enough to be funded through all kinds of channels. The support or accompaniment that we will offer will allow these projects to see the light of day. In short, to move from words to deeds.
This type of initiative is not new, but in the Canadian geographic and political context, it imposes several challenges, including those involving the dissemination and movement of works, the revision of the status of the artist, eco-responsible practices, relations with indigenous peoples and, of course, the digital issue. This growing presence comes with its share of paradoxes, according to Sven Buridans, project manager.
“Before the pandemic, we knew that the digital shift brings people together and isolates them at the same time, says the one who has just been hired to put the TADA accelerator! on rails. It is all the more important to think about its scope in terms of organization and resources, because digital will not replace everything. The experience of a face-to-face play cannot replace a digital performance. But there are models that are beginning to date, and which deserve a new lease of life. »
A Quebec impetus
Some will say that the Canadian Francophonie also needs a new impetus. Could he come from Quebec, whose desire for independence has long frightened communities in other provinces? Things have changed a lot, as have the speeches, and the government of François Legault is taking another tangent, embodied by the initiatives of Minister Lebel.
Its new policy is long overdue, but according to Marie-Christine Morin, “the work of TADA! and the TADA accelerator! are in line with Quebec’s reflection on its relations with other Francophonies: we want to both open up and get closer. The FCCF feels this desire very well”. It is also expressed concretely with the financial support of the Quebec Secretariat for Canadian Relations for the TADA accelerator!
This desire is also palpable among artists and cultural workers who, despite the pitfalls and slumps, have also seen the potential of new ways of doing things during the pandemic. “A great curiosity has emerged for all kinds of content, underlines the general manager of the FCCF. Suddenly, we had access to everything that was happening in the Francophonie; there have been discoveries, and we have every interest in capitalizing on this desire for encounters, as well as this interest on the part of different audiences. »
The TADA accelerator! is in its infancy, and Sven Buridans has several ambitions for this crossroads of ideas, networking and influences. “There is so much to do! he concludes. I hope that the right tools will be chosen to nurture dialogue between organizations and encourage co-creation. We will have models and examples that will snowball. »