I have been president of Culture Montréal for six years now. Six years during which I have tirelessly defended the arts and culture, their contribution to society, their importance in relation to oneself and to others, their role in neighborhood life and in the development of The city.
Today, as Culture Montréal continues to do useful work more than ever, the time has come for me to pass the torch to the next generation. It is with the feeling of accomplishment that I will leave my place to a new president at the Annual General Meeting of members on October 26th.
I am proud of what we have accomplished. In terms of ideas, Culture Montréal has contributed to placing culture at the heart of public debate. Since the beginning of my mandate, six elections have taken place. Six election campaigns throughout which Culture Montréal has perfected its tools for consultation, reflection and democratic intervention in the service of the milieu and the higher interests of culture. Our cultural recommendation platforms are now essential documents for decision-makers, because they provide an accurate and as complete as possible portrait of the challenges of the future for the arts and culture sector. Basically, they all carry the same message: there is a right to culture, because culture is a common good.
This year’s Quebec elections are an additional opportunity to convey this message. For culture to remain a common good, the Government of Quebec must continue to support and invest in it. The labor shortage and the inflationary pressure will slow down the sector’s recovery. This is why state support for our artists, creators and artisans is vital. It must be constantly reminded.
For culture to belong to everyone, we must value its different expressions and recognize the importance of Aboriginal arts and cultural practices in the process of reconciliation and reappropriation of identity led by the First Nations.
For culture to bring us together and elevate us, it must be transmitted and shared from an early age. Strengthening the links between the world of culture and that of education is undeniably one of the main keys to educational success and participation in the cultural life of our youth.
For culture to contribute to the habitability of the world, we must fully recognize its role as an agent of change within this great movement of ecological transition.
For culture to continue to weave this vital link between the past and the present, everything must be done to safeguard our built and intangible heritage, whose presence testifies to a rich and plural history.
I could go on for a long time listing the cultural issues of tomorrow. They are the raison d’être of Culture Montréal, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. In 20 years, Culture Montréal has been both a player and a privileged witness to the city’s dazzling cultural development: the city’s first cultural policy, the renewal of libraries, the Quartier des spectacles, the Rendez- you Montreal cultural metropolis, the battle of the Grover factory and avenue de Gaspé for artists’ studios, or the 375e Montreal’s birthday.
But there are still many battles to be fought to ensure the cultural revival of Montreal and achieve true cultural citizenship at the local level. This is why Culture Montréal is more useful than ever.
I have confidence in the future and in the person who will succeed me as President of Culture Montréal, as in those who are committed to culture every day and who spare no effort within the artistic and cultural milieu as well as the board of directors and the permanent team of Culture Montréal.
For me, this is not a farewell. I will continue to serve the culture, as I have always done. Long live Culture Montreal!