This text is part of the special Culture Montérégie notebook
Last fall, Culture Montérégie highlighted the creative process of eight artists from the region through a virtual platform. The creative residency is broadcast online until the end of the summer.
From September 11 to November 30, eight Montérégie artists selected by a jury of peers were paid with the aim of carrying out a project in front of spectators, digitally. “In order for the public to follow this adventure, we made four professional video productions of each of them. But they also created more spontaneous and organic content of their own for a minimum of two per week,” explains Jacinthe Ducas, development and member services agent at Culture Montérégie.
The public was then invited to visit a digital platform. “It’s like a video game where you can move around an art center. There were two large exhibition rooms where you could see the artists’ photos and videos. We could enter their world and we had access to their workshop. We could click on a package of video content to follow the evolution of the artistic creation project,” describes Mme Ducas.
The initiative received financial support from the Quebec government’s Rayonnement de la culture québécoise program with a sum of $495,000 in addition to media support from Quebecor.
Discover behind the scenes
Artists from several disciplines were selected, as much in visual arts as in dance, jewelry making, performing arts, music or musical theater.
The showcase not only allowed the artists to advance their current projects, but also provided the public with an opportunity to discover their daily lives by immersing themselves in their creative process. “Before you really have a work as such, there is a lot of work, but you don’t notice it that much. We wanted to give people the opportunity to learn more about what an artistic process is,” underlines M.me Ducas.
This is particularly what the pianist and composer Roman Zavada did, who, by his own admission, creates in “a little unusual” contexts. As part of the Montérégie cultural showcase, the musician went to the heart of the forest to compose his next album. “I brought two pianos, an upright and a grand, to compose according to the environment. My instruments have weathered the seasons. The grains and sounds have changed,” he says.
For her part, puppeteer Joanie Papillon invited the public to her home workshop to witness the making of a puppet. “I chose to use a portion of the time we had to go to the studio to be able to test prototypes. I think it’s really important to be able to work with them before they’re finished. I can make adjustments to how my puppet needs to move on stage,” she explains of the process of creating Gaia. This multidisciplinary show is aimed at adolescents, and combines dance, theatrical experiences, animation and silent dramaturgy. “We have 3D puppets, but we also have a portion that is done under UV lights, where the artists will disappear into the darkness and the public will only see the reflective puppets,” she describes.
A serious boost
The fact that the artists were paid for eight weeks allowed them to devote themselves to their art and thus advance their project. “It’s rare that we have access to such long-term residences. It still came with an interesting monetary package for an artistic residency,” estimates Catherine Savoie, musical theater artist. The young woman was thus able to develop her musical show inspired by Giulia Tofana, who poisoned more than 600 men during the Italian Renaissance. The play asks the following question: in a society where women are oppressed, is it acceptable to take the law into your own hands? Catherine Savoie also highlights the media coverage offered by the showcase, notably thanks to the partnership with Quebecor.
For Joanie Papillon, being able to share the stages of creation with people helps to democratize the arts. She adds that she was also able to be more productive, as she worked in the public eye. “It was really exciting. In eight weeks, it’s impressive what I’ve done! » she exclaims, laughing.
An audience at the meeting
Even if the relationship between the artists and their audience was on digital platforms, the showcase led to the creation of a certain enthusiasm, believes Mme Ducas. “It’s been an enriching experience for the artists to have this connection with the public,” she says.
For Roman Zavada, composing in the middle of the forest in an unusual way gave him the opportunity to pique the interest of spectators. “I think it really piqued people’s curiosity to find out more and follow me afterwards. I am an independent artist who rides a lot, but not very well known to the general public. It really put a face behind the artist that we hear about, but that we don’t know,” he believes.
Joanie Papillon agrees. “We are creating new links through this project. We were able to attract other members to our social networks,” says the one who has more institutional clients such as schools and municipalities. “There, it was interesting to be able to reach people directly in their homes. »
Although Culture Montérégie is not planning a second edition of its virtual showcase in the short term, the organization is already working on an upcoming digital initiative. “It will be a platform to allow school stakeholders to work and booker artists to give shows and do extracurricular activities,” foresees Mme Ducas. One thing is certain, Culture Montérégie wants to continue to promote its local creators.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.