The new Minister of Culture and Communications Mathieu Lacombe shuttled from Quebec to Montreal on Thursday to attend the unveiling of the master plan for Quebec theater, led by the Quebec Theater Council (CQT). A document that recommends nearly 250 actions to be implemented over the next 10 years.
Posted at 1:09 p.m.
Minister Mathieu Lacombe praised the work carried out by the CQT for four and a half years. “Almost assuredly, what’s in this document will be very useful going forward,” he said.
“When there is teamwork of this magnitude, as minister, it is reassuring, he continued, because we feel that there is cohesion, we feel that people want going in the same direction and it’s much easier afterwards to support you and give you the tools to help you achieve your goals. »
This is the first time that the Quebec theater community has adopted a master plan.
Priority projects have been identified (to be implemented within the next three years). Among them, we find: the working conditions of artists, the conditions related to creation and production, diversity and inclusion, the next generation, the development of audiences, the loyalty of young audiences, the circulation of works between territories and eco-responsibility.
One of the strategies of the Master Plan is to better circulate artists and their works. To achieve this, several actions are planned, such as: setting up residency programs accessible to a wider variety of artists or supporting events that promote Quebec dramaturgy and Aboriginal artists or artists from diverse backgrounds.
In another project, we talk about improving the economic, social and psychological conditions of artists. To achieve this, the plan provides, among other things, for updating the study on the remuneration of cultural workers, and defining and evaluating what constitutes the invisible unpaid work of writing, design or management.
Mathieu Lacombe, who is also Minister of Youth, said he was particularly sensitive to the issue of young audiences.
“There are major challenges to getting our young people more interested in what we do in culture. If we don’t interest our young people in theater at school or at home, at what age will we interest them? I myself have children aged 8 and 5 with whom I have been going to the theater for several years and each time they come out with a big smile and stars in their eyes. »
The CQT has developed this plan for the theater community. A work piloted by actors of the environment.
In addition to the co-presidents of the CQT (Laurence Régnier and Rachel Morse), we find the names of Sylvain Bélanger (artistic director of the Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui), Brigitte Haentjens (director), Frédéric Dubois (director of the French section of the National Theater School), Dave Jeniss (Artistic Director of Ondinook), etc. About twenty people took part in the various projects.
Ongoing support
Minister Lacombe admitted that the performing arts sector had been “most affected” during the pandemic. He wanted to reassure the community about the support of his ministry. “We will be by your side to help you get up,” he said. We know that the challenges continue to be present and we will continue to support the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec [CALQ] that we finance. »
Mr. Lacombe did not want to commit himself to the specific financing of the measures recommended by the Master Plan for the theatrical community. “There is a range of measures, which is interesting, because the government cannot always achieve everything, so I think we can take some of the actions of the Plan and make them priorities. »
In addition, the new Minister of Culture and Communications intends to continue meetings with cultural stakeholders – set up by his predecessor Nathalie Roy during the pandemic.
“We have to make a transition between the end of COVID-19 and the revival of the performing arts, this is our biggest challenge in the short term, he indicated. There was a lot of money invested during the health crisis, if we stop overnight, there will be a shock, but we also have to plan for the future, so this transition is delicate, there will be choices. to be done, but the government will continue to be present by taking inspiration from what the community suggests. »