This text is part of the special Culture Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean notebook
Creating a bridge between the arts and citizens, democratizing culture, encouraging human encounters: this is the essence of cultural mediation, which allows everyone to be a participant in art, and not just a spectator. Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, which has its own regional innovation unit in cultural mediation, stands out in this area through the multiplicity of practices at work on its territory.
“We preach a lot about healthy habits with sport, but being active – which is good for mental health – can also be achieved through art,” says Vicky Tremblay, coordinator at the community cultural organization Mosaïque social, in Roberval.
Cultural mediation activities, which are intended to be experiences that are as enriching on a human level as on a creative level, are intended for the entire population, thus responding to the challenges of social cohesion and inclusion.
“Cultural mediation allows equal opportunities, to open horizons, minds, a universe of possibilities for many people, even to dream big,” explains Camille Brisson, cultural mediation coordinator at the cultural mediation center. contemporary art Langage Plus, in Alma.
“It’s a social bond. Citizens have often told me: “It helps us understand the world,” says professor and researcher at UQAC and member of the Observatory of Cultural Mediations Marcelle Dubé, who analyzed practices in Saguenay–Lac- Saint Jean.
A constellation of practices
“I studied in the arts, but more and more, my medium is people,” M nicely illustrates.me Tremblay. I like to create mechanisms that allow people to encounter each other’s realities. »
Calling on the arts in all directions, cultural mediation practices take a multitude of forms: guided tours, workshops in outdoor locations open to all, long-term creative projects, artist residencies, etc. “Cultural mediation is protean, “constellar””, image Mme Dube.
At Mosaïque sociale, the words of creative citizens take over public space through collective works exhibited in schools, libraries, shopping centers and even the premises of community organizations. “We must have several hundred works all over Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean,” rejoices Vicky Tremblay. Accessible to everyone, these creations with multiple points of view can spark conversations, she observes. “They have scope, they allow social debates to be brought into the public space through the subjects they address. »
The school environment, with which Langage Plus collaborates extensively, constitutes a most fertile environment for cultural mediation. The art center brings together students and artists by organizing school trips and artist residencies lasting a few months in schools, from which collective works, exhibitions and books are born.
Camille Brisson underlines the importance for students to experience a project that extends over time. “It allows us to persist in the exploration, but also in the questions, to approach it from various angles, to explore different media,” she notes. We are very happy when schools open their doors to us. »
Behind those of Langage Plus, visitors can count on the support of a mediator, the art center preferring human exchanges and interaction to explanatory panels. “It helps legitimize visitors’ experiences, since each person has their own references, their own reading of art,” explains M.me Brisson, who sees it as a way for people to gain confidence in the face of current art.
In addition, by collaborating with various community organizations, Mosaïque sociale and Langage Plus reach out to more marginalized clienteles or those with less access to culture. “We take advantage of this proximity to register in our territory and remember that culture is present for everyone,” underlines the cultural mediation coordinator.
Citizens marked forever
Participating in collective artistic projects has proven beneficial for many. “There are some who went to secondary school, who achieved important life stages, who needed to experience success, to socialize; they share it with me when I meet them in the street,” confides Vicky Tremblay, of Mosaïque sociale.
If the organizations have fought for a long time to promote cultural mediation, the coordinator assures that they have made gains — Social Mosaic even obtained its first funding at the mission. “When we knocked on the doors of ministries 15 years ago, we were told that we were not doing art, but reintegration or mental health,” she remembers. Today, politicians realize that art is much more than artists presenting projects. »
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