This text is part of the special section Arts and culture in Quebec
Often associated with environmental issues, the notion of sustainable development also applies, more generally, to all long-term measures implemented in a sector — economic, social, ecological, etc. — to ensure its long-term development. At the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), we give sustainable development a meaning of inclusion and diversity of expressions.
Last year, the CALQ adopted an ambitious Sustainable Development Action Plan 2023-2028, structured around a multitude of initiatives (specific programs, scholarship awards, support) promoting cultural diversity and inclusion of indigenous communities, disabled artists and emerging artists. Access to art throughout Quebec and eco-responsibility are also important levers.
In addition, “we want to involve citizens in making decisions that concern them. At the Conseil des arts et des lettres, our processes are based on the involvement of people from the community who participate in our committees and juries,” indicates Anne-Marie Jean, president and CEO of the CALQ since 2015, who has more than 35 years of experience. of experience in the cultural sector.
Cultural life for all
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec financially supports artists and organizations (in the niches of literature, storytelling, artistic crafts, architectural research, and performing, multidisciplinary, media and visual arts ) to encourage the creation, experimentation, production and dissemination of works, in all regions of Quebec.
Concretely, the components of its Sustainable Development Action Plan apply in the evaluation criteria of projects and in the support of initiatives launched by the artistic community. It is not a question, for a creator or a project, of “checking boxes” and superficially satisfying requirements to obtain their aid envelope; the CALQ wants an “organic” integration of the recommended orientations, according to Anne-Marie Jean.
“We manage public funds,” explains the latter. We must serve the entire community, and we want people [du public] recognize themselves in what they are going to see, whether they want to go see a play or a show in the street. The companies therefore strive to achieve these targets, to move towards better representation of Quebec society, both on stage and in the room. The objective always remains the same: that everyone who lives in Quebec can participate in Quebec cultural life. »
For example, the Vivacité program offers creative grants to artists from cultural diversity in order to offer them full participation in the Quebec artistic community, taking into account barriers to integration. The Re-Know program was entirely designed in consultation with members of First Nations and Inuit communities, and offers provisions adapted to their reality.
“We invited them to participate in a meeting to find out how we could better serve them,” explains M.me Jeans. The program we had until then was a partnership, and it worked more or less well. We wanted to eliminate barriers. Our way of working is very much based on co-development to ensure that we meet needs. »
Palpable evolution
The territorial perspective of the Action Plan, for its part, promises the circulation of works throughout the province, among other things through the use of unusual presentation spaces (storytelling in parks, strolling tours on natural sites , landscape theater, etc.), and the facilitation of tours to extend the lifespan of productions.
As for the aspect of eco-responsibility, it is generous, encompassing tools such as the Creative Green platform (making it possible to measure the carbon footprint of an organization), specific programs in Montreal and Quebec, as well as the encouragement processes such as the recovery of sets and costumes. “The industry was very concerned about its carbon footprint. We are too, so we found this solution to work together,” says Mme Jeans.
The CALQ draws up an annual report on the impact of its Sustainable Development Action Plan to be able to target its objectives even better the following year. And, according to Anne-Marie Jean, the artistic community responds very favorably and enthusiastically to the suggested measures.
“We have not yet reached the full potential of all this, but it is developing,” notes the CEO of CALQ. We look at the programming and we see that things are evolving. Managers see the issues existing in the cultural environment. We consult the community a lot, we have annual meetings with its various representatives, and together we adjust our ways of working for the coming years. We are quite proud of the progress we have made, but we still have some work to do. »
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