Following the publication of the advisory committee’s report on the discoverability of cultural content, I would like to share here some avenues for reflection that seem essential to me for the preservation and vitality of our culture. This report proposes several concrete actions to the government. If it is true that the government has a key role to play in the promotion and protection of Quebec culture, it is also crucial that Quebec citizens are aware of their cultural rights and, by the same token, of their responsibility to with regard to their culture. Putting all this in the hands of the government alone would be a big mistake.
Assuming our role as citizens begins with gestures that are both simple and committed: let’s look for Quebec culture on different platforms, let’s demand it. Let’s no longer wait to receive it by chance between two swipes of our thumb on our phone or when changing stations on TV.
Let’s get involved with our community, a museum or a cultural center and commit to shaping the cultural actions of our neighborhood, our city. Let’s give the gift of music, literature, works of art, shows and exhibitions here. In discussions among colleagues or friends, let’s promote and defend our local artists and arts and cultural organizations.
Let’s stop pitting big cities and regions against each other. “Let me tell you what culture is for me… Well let’s see, culture isn’t here, in Baie-Comeau, it’s in Montreal that happens. It’s not my culture. » This punchline, reported by a colleague from Culture Côte-Nord, hurts. I heard other sentences of this kind in Montreal, describing regional culture with a certain distance, to remain polite. My discussions and interventions in recent years on our beautiful territory, from Abitibi-Témiscamingue to the Îles-de-la-Madeleine via Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Quebec, have demonstrated to me to what extent: 1. We are not not aware of the richness of our local culture; and 2. We confuse local pride with closure on what is happening elsewhere.
As if the differences marking the uniqueness of Quebec did not allow us to recognize ourselves there. This division creates prejudices which often prevent a thorough understanding of others and of Quebec culture in its real and formidable complexity, in what is essential.
It is time to change our perspective and recognize ourselves. Culture is an essential part of our identity. It encompasses our values, our traditions, our history, our heritage and our language. Whether local or national, whether it is rooted here or came to us as a gift from elsewhere, our culture is as unique as each of us, who wear it with pride.
Minister Lacombe and the members of the advisory committee… What if we helped you? With nine million cultural citizens, we should get there.