After two editions 100% virtual, the Montreal Poetry Festival (FPM) is preparing to invade the city to promote this art. At the helm of this 23 edition, entitled From one poem to anotherNoémie Perreault, co-director general and administrative director, and Catherine Cormier-Larose, co-director general and artistic director, are palpably excited and contagiously enthusiastic.
“With Catherine, we entered co-general management in August to replace Isabelle Courteau, who is the founder and was the general and artistic director for more than 20 years, explains Noémie Perreault. It was quite a challenge because there was a pandemic background behind it all and we didn’t know if we were going to be able to do it face-to-face. We still achieved our goals. We are everywhere in the city! »
Thus, the FPM is leaving the Plateau Mont-Royal in order to expand its activities in various neighborhoods of Montreal, notably in the Quartier des Spectacles, in the Latin Quarter, in the Centre-Sud and in Villeray. In this way, the new directors wish both to reconnect with the faithful of the festival and to conquer a neophyte public, even involuntary spectators.
“This is the first time in the history of the festival that we have changed direction, but the bases on which we are working are extremely solid, assures Catherine Cormier-Larose. All festivals, after two years of pandemic, need love. Being able to surf on the fact that poetry is less feared than before because we have seen it in the theater or in the first part of performances by singers and singers allows us to dream big. »
Accomplices and complementary
Noémie Perreault, from the world of music, and Catherine Cormier-Larose, poet and literary critic, did not know each other at all before forming the new two-headed management of the FPM. Listening to them talk, they seem to complement each other perfectly, one supporting the other’s ideas and dreams, and vice versa: “It clicked right away! they say.
“When I arrived in the world of poetry, recalls Noémie Perreault, I realized that there were still plenty of things that had not been done, especially in the multidisciplinary field. The Poetry Festival has been doing podcasts for a relatively long time, but an architectural projection in video mapping, I don’t think anyone had done that in poetry before. With Catherine, who is a poetic machine, we want to show that poetry can be part of our daily lives, without necessarily having to go to a room to listen to poets. »
“Thanks to the arrival of Noémie, we immediately dreamed much bigger,” reveals Catherine Cormier-Larose. What we are trying to do with this edition is to say that poetry is back, that it is not scary and that it is accessible. Here is a QR code to listen to a poem on your phone. Here is a poem displayed in your bus shelter. Here is the poetry in your neighborhood. »
One of the ideas that the two directors ardently defend is not to put poets in boxes, whether at the Poetry Market, in meetings, shows, cabarets or podcasts.
“When we look at this year’s programming, on the side of the guest poets, whether they are Franco-Canadian poets, Quebec, Montreal or French poets, there is an incredible diversity, both generational and cultural”, proudly points out Noémie Perréault.
“It all happened naturally, we didn’t have a programming table with boxes, continues his colleague. We don’t like squares, we like blowing them up! We not only want different voices to come together, we also want different kinds of poetry. That way, we can adapt to different audiences. Over the years, the classical and lyrical poetry that we learn at school has become a bit old-fashioned, a bit flat and inaccessible because the words are far from our everyday life. We just want to tell people who haven’t yet encountered poetry that touches them that it can’t be, not to love poetry. »
Solidly rooted in the present, and with a view resolutely turned towards the future, the administrative director and the artistic director have every intention of continuing to promote poetry in Montreal and internationally, with the Maison de la Montreal, NPO that produces the FPM.
“It will be important to keep our edge in terms of new technologies, believes Noémie Perreault. Isabelle Courteau was very visionary with the podcasts, the interactive work The street of poets. We must keep in mind to always be able to take poetry into spheres that it has never touched and that no one has ever touched. »
“That’s what makes it possible to seek out a new audience, to project poets into other spheres…” continues Catherine Cormier-Larose.
“…And to stay current,” concludes her colleague.
The 23e Montreal Poetry Festival runs from May 30 to June 5. Visit the site festivaldelapoesiedemontreal.com to see the program.