Montreal is rich in festivals. A major component of its cultural and touristic life, there are more than forty events dedicated to a specific form: theatre, dance, circus, cinema, music, photography, digital arts, visual arts, Aboriginal arts and more. Our festivals are an opening to the world and highlight the creativity of artists. Mainly frequented by our fellow citizens — a curious, demanding and passionate public — they offer unique access to works from here and abroad.
The dynamism of our festivals contributes to Montréal’s affirmation as a unique Francophone cultural metropolis in the Americas. At any time of the year and in different neighborhoods, festivals are eagerly awaited. They are a collective pride, the heart of a vibrant cultural activity.
Festivals are actors of social cohesion. We bring together artists from all over the country and welcome works from a diversity of cultures, creating a strong bond with the public. This communion is vital for the well-being of our society. This is what makes a city alive.
Our sector, like many others, has been severely tested by the pandemic. Sanitary measures have forced a reinvention of formats and programming. We have shown great agility in order to preserve the achievements and deliver our events. This tour de force was possible thanks to the governments which made notable investments. We sincerely appreciate that.
However, the aftermath of this crisis is abrupt, revealing the fragility of our structures and the breathlessness of our teams. We are concerned about what is coming, whether it is inflation reflected in production costs, the essential increase in artists’ fees or human resources issues. We are suffering the impacts of the deterioration of employment conditions in the cultural sector, which has been observed for many years. The current funding no longer allows us to maintain the jobs necessary for the proper deployment of our activities. The situation has dramatic consequences for the future.
Today, Ministers Pablo Rodriguez, Pierre Fitzgibbon and Mathieu Lacombe, Mayor Valérie Plante, we are sounding the alarm. In a context where the special assistance offered during the pandemic has ended, our ability to offer substantial programming and contribute to the workplace and the economy is in jeopardy.
Governments need to put in place measures to improve employment conditions and to help us structure the coming years. The three levels of government must help festivals assert a sustainable and renewed vision of the future. Finally, a lookout must be organized between the public authorities concerned to articulate coherent responses to the difficulties we express. The world has changed and our social, environmental and economic responsibilities are growing. We are ready to take up the challenges ahead of us, but want clear commitments in return.
Carriers and bearers of a living heritage whose vitality we ensure with multi-sectoral economic benefits, we are ready to invest all our courage, to mobilize our teams and to federate all the stakeholders to which we are attached. But we cannot meet this challenge without you.
Over the coming months, we will gladly invite Montrealers, tourists and day trippers to our events. It is gratifying to find large audiences and to stimulate with them the heart of the cultural and artistic life of Montreal. This solidarity deserves our commitment as well as yours.
*Also signed this letter:
Guilhem Caillard, General Manager of Cinémania
Eric Cazes, Operations Director of Pop Montreal
Fabienne Colas, president and founder of the Montreal International Black Film Festival and the Festival Haïti en folie
Pierre Corbeil, general manager of Fantasia
Philippe U. del Drago, general and artistic director of the International Festival of Films on Art
André Dudemaine, General Manager of the International Native Presence Festival
Marc Gauthier, General Manager of the International Documentary Meetings of Montreal
Nicolas Girard Deltruc, general director of the Montreal Festival of New Cinema
Stéphane Lavoie, general manager of Montreal completely circus
Frédéric Loury, Founder, Managing Director and Principal Curator of Underground Art
Sylvie Quenneville, Executive Director of Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma
Suzanne Rousseau, General Manager of the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique
Rafik Sabbagh, founder, general and artistic director of the Festival Quartiers danses