This text is part of the special Higher Education notebook
They tirelessly practiced their scales, refined their diction, handled the brush or exercised their physical dexterity. These young graduates from the Faculty of Arts at UQAM feel ready to conquer the world, or at least the artistic environment in which they have chosen to evolve. But do they have the necessary background to navigate the imperatives of independent work? No, according to many, but things are likely to change.
Recurring questions about copyright, employment contracts or invoice processing often come up in students’ discussions with their professors, and they are sometimes tinged with concerns. Not to mention that their owners don’t always have the time or resources to respond properly. Danick Trottier, professor in the Department of Music at UQAM, had been making this observation for quite some time, himself offering a course on “the development of the musician’s identity”, which also prepares students for the reality of being a freelancer. Which they will be, for the vast majority of them.
“I have met many graduates who would have liked to know more about this subject at the start of their career,” admits Danick Trottier. This is why he is delighted with the arrival of the course Elements of management and independent work in artistic environments, offered by the Department of Management of ESG UQAM to all students of the Faculty of Arts, regardless of their discipline. And it is all the more fortunate that the instigators of this training have mastered both administrative subtleties and creative questions.
Indeed, Joëlle Bissonnette and Thierry Beaupré-Gateau, professors at ESG UQAM, are no strangers to the artistic world (she as a manager in the music industry, he as a musician, trained double bassist) before undertaking research advanced as part of their studies at HEC Montréal. Their dedication to improving the conditions of creators in a constantly evolving environment has also been the subject of a book, The entrepreneurial spirit of artists in the digital age (JFD Éditions, 2022), with the collaboration of Laurent Simon.
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The new tandem course, given for the first time this winter, has a goal that is both simple and ambitious, according to Joëlle Bissonnette, namely to “understand the language of others”: that of the artist manager, the theater director, of the boss of a company, etc. This understanding helps avoid misunderstandings, according to the researcher, and missteps that are sometimes benign, sometimes cruel. “Professors had told us of their students’ interest in the management dimension of their course, and it is fortunate that ESG UQAM can so easily establish links with the Faculty of Arts,” she says. Networks which also risk occurring inside the classroom, the course being accessible to all students, whether in music, dance or visual arts.
This aspect excites Thierry Beaupré-Gateau, who draws parallels with his own artistic journey. “I have made music for dance as much as theater,” explains the composer. All arts students are driven by great passion, a creative fire. We do not want to transform them into managers, but to make them aware that although their studies are demanding — because they must first learn the basics of their profession — their career will necessarily be interdisciplinary. In short, knowing that an industry can support them, but if they dream of creation in an artists’ center, it is just as legitimate because it will meet their aspirations. »
“There are several ways to configure your career and finance your art,” insists Joëlle Bissonnette. Is it always by selling his works? Maybe there are other ways. The course becomes an opportunity to ask the right questions, such as considering a more compartmentalized trajectory with livelihood on one side, and artistic activity free from economic considerations on the other. » For his part, Thierry Beaupré-Gateau hopes that this course will cushion “the shock” of new graduates facing “the real profession”, but the musician at heart remains categorical: “They must compose, write poetry, dance , explore new techniques before designing business models! »
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