Last week, ComediHa! announced the creation of a festival to be held in Montreal in July to fill the void left by the Just for Laughs festival. The different levels of government quickly granted public financial support of several millions fearing that a summer without a comedy festival in downtown Montreal would be wasted. The day after this announcement, many festivals struggling to survive woke up with a bitter taste.
Not only was the Montreal cultural ecosystem going to offer organic programming aligned with public expectations, but many funders had even initially assured the representatives of the Regroupement des festivals régional nationaux nationaux (REFRAIN) that they would take the time to evaluate the situation before financing a new comedy festival in Montreal.
The situation is critical for the 111 independent artistic festivals which animate all regions of Quebec. To date, more than half of REFRAIN members report reductions totaling more than $2 million in federal, provincial, regional and municipal aid. More than 25 festivals have never managed to obtain their share of provincial cultural funding, despite convincing evidence of their positive impacts on the vitality of neighborhoods and municipalities.
Montreal is a cultural hub thanks to its major festivals, and also thanks to all its independent festivals rich in artistic diversity. Why fund a single organization when multiple festivals already established in the metropolis, which bring the city to life throughout the year, could be involved? The latter are at the end of their tether and this spontaneous helping hand would certainly have been a great opportunity to help these festivals survive in this precarious reality. We could imagine a festival such as the FAR – Street Arts Festival in street entertainment, MAPP Montreal in mapping the facades of public spaces, the AfroMonde Festival with colorful shows in the spirit of a real carnival or a new collaboration with MUTEK, the Montreal BD Festival, FIKA(S), Francouvertes, and many others.
Culture is today a crucial vector of economic development in all regions of Quebec (important note: when we name the regions, Montreal is considered a region as well). Presenting a sustained artistic offering throughout the year for citizens and tourists, while showcasing communities across Quebec, is just as important as guaranteeing summer activities in Montreal.
What would happen to Quebec if independent arts festivals disappeared one after the other? What would become of our regions, their cultural vitality, their social fabric, their economic and territorial development? What about our young people looking to discover artistic events to which they do not otherwise have access?
For decades, Quebec has been recognized around the world for its cultural creativity. This event uniqueness is its trademark. The bankruptcy of the Just for Laughs Group is terrible for the events sector, both for the artists and the professionals who work there. However, it also represents a unique opportunity to do what we do best: reinvent ourselves, question ourselves and find new ways of doing things.
Despite the decisions made by public decision-makers, we have an opportunity to seize to unite and collaborate to offer the best to Montrealers, Quebec festival-goers and tourists from around the world who come to Quebec to discover what makes us so unique : our creativity.
