The Center du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui (CTD’A) unveiled the names of the very first recipients of the Michelle-Rossignol Fund on Wednesday.
No less than 14 artists, the majority of whom are women, share a sum of $ 100,000. This sum will allow them to develop projects that will notably promote the values of equity, social justice and cultural diversity.
The artists chosen are Lyndz Dantiste, Philippe Racine and Tatiana Zinga Botao (from the Théâtre de la Sentinelle collective), Nicolas Gendron, Danielle Le Saux-Farmer, Mellissa Larivière, Soleil Launière, Dominique Leclerc, Gabrielle Lessard, Stephie Mazunya, Émilie Monnet, Tamara Nguyen, Anne-Marie Olivier and Marie-Claude Verdier.
Sylvain Bélanger, co-director general and artistic director of the CTD’A, explained in a press release: “The projects supported by this first edition are in the image of the DNA of the CTD’A: a progressive space, attentive of its society and those who compose it. Whether their families come from Quebec or elsewhere, the first and first recipients of this financial assistance write the stories that link them to previous generations as well as to the challenges of current generations. These artists draw on inspiring sources, fearlessly deal with contemporary issues and work on textual and scenic dramaturgies that animate and project us. “
A $ 10,000 scholarship will also be awarded at the end of the season to the author who wins the public vote for the CTD’A Dramatic Writing Award.
The Michelle-Rossignol Endowment Fund was created in May 2020 thanks to a donation of $ 1.4 million from Jacques Desmarais, spouse of Michelle Rossignol. We will remember that the great lady of the theater, who directed the Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui for many years, passed away on May 18, 2020. The Fund is managed by the Foundation of Greater Montreal.