Culture pour tous

International Symposium on
Artistic Mediation & Managerial Innovation a great success

Culture pour tous and UQAM’s Department of Social and Public Communication hit a home run when they joined forces to organize an innovative symposium on the contribution of art and creative processes to the renewal of management practices. The event took place December 5 and 6, 2011, and brought together 25 guest speakers from Québec, France, Switzerland, Italy and Finland.

In an era where personal balance is valued and sought to an ever-greater degree, and in which organizations’ capacity for change is a crucial issue, content addressing the value of the arts in the business world is of greater and greater interest to researchers, artists, managers and consultants. The proof: more than 100 participants took part in the event’s lectures, workshops and artistic performances!

These issues are of prime concern to Culture pour tous, which aims to encourage people’s participation in culture by bringing artists and creative processes into everyday life, including the work environment. In developing its Culture In Business project, Culture pour tous will continue its work to document and showcase the impacts of artistic initiatives in the workplace, and its efforts to create a Québec-wide and international network that brings together partners from every sphere of activity in society.

You can also find out more about our lecturers and the symposium program at cultureinbusiness/symposium/

Revitalizing the workplace with art and culture

Culture in Business is an innovative program that offers a bank of cultural activities, in a variety of disciplines, that are tailored to companies’ and organizations’ human resource needs and their desire to create a more attractive workplace for their employees.

This year, as part of the program’s collaborative creation component, “Art at Work,” three new projects were carried out: at Alcan Cable’s Saint-Maurice Works, in Shawinigan, with Lorraine Beaulieu; at Environment Canada, in Quebec City, with Caroline Simard; and at the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, with Madeleine Turgeon.

We are actively seeking proposals and suggestions for activities from cultural organizations and businesses. www.cultureinbusiness.ca

Cultural Mediation Portal:
some noteworthy initiatives

The current issue, Art and Health, presents different initiatives of arts’ integration into hospitals, care centres and other parts of the health sector. The target clientele is extremely varied and includes children, seniors and people with serious illness or mental health problems, as well as health care workers and administrative personnel. These initiatives can help change perceptions and make hospitals a better place for patients and employees alike. Check it out at mediationculturelle.culturepourtous.ca/en/

15^th Journées de la culture a great success

On the weekend of September 30 to October 2, 2011, more than 2,600 activities were put on by thousands of artists, craftspersons, cultural workers and volunteers throughout Quebec, attracting close to 200,000 visitors!

Relive some highlights of Les Journées de la culture 2011.
Videos can be viewed at www.journeesdelaculture.qc.ca

This year’s “Culture Buffet” was made possible thanks to all the organizers who for 15 years have helped plan and serve up this amazing cornucopia of culture. We thank them for their generosity and dedication. Les Journées de la culture is an essential event for bringing people together around culture and enjoys the support of three major partners: Quebec’s Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, TD and Hydro-Québec.

Come back next year for the 16th edition of Les Journées de la culture, September 28, 29 and 30!

Culture Buffet contest
Congratulations to the winners of the Culture Buffet contest: Pauline Poulin of Montreal, who won a trip for two to Paris, Guylaine Dusseault of Trois-Rivières, who received a voucher for travel anywhere on VIA Rail’s network, and Gilles Simonet of Sherbrooke, the lucky recipient of a selection of 15 books from Les Éditions La Presse.

Je m’affiche pour la culture! Caravan: 13,000 kilometre on the road

Thanks to the Je m’affiche pour la culture! Caravan that toured festivals and popular events all across Quebec this past summer, 2,000 citizens had their picture taken by a professional photographer in return for sharing a few words on the importance of culture in their lives. The Caravan wound up on October 2, at Place Pasteur in Montreal during Les Journées de la culture.

The summer-long project was organized to mark the 15^th anniversary of Les Journées de la culture and the 50th anniversary of Quebec’s Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine. Along the Caravan route there were also eight café-discussions on culture and local development with personalities from the local business world or political or cultural scene in Drummondville, Rimouski, Quebec City, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, Gatineau, Baie‑Saint‑Paul and Montreal.

We would like to thank our valued partners, the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, Sun Life Financial, Astral and Le Lait, for enabling the public to enjoy these activities free of charge.

To view the reports and the photos in the online gallery, go to www.jemaffichepourlaculture.com.
And it’s not too late to add your own photo and testimonial to culture!

Student retention and the cultural sector

In sharing their passion, artists and cultural workers are able to reach out to kids and can often serve as a role model. Culture pour tous wants to harness this appeal for its new student-retention project, Passeurs de rêves.

Based on the premise that culture is essential to everyone’s personal development, this mentorship project teams up Quebec artists and cultural workers with high school students. Passeurs de rêves wish to motivate the youngsters by helping them discover the career paths of adults who have been successful in different spheres and who could inspire them with their dedication and striving for excellence.

Passeurs de rêves is part of the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport’s action strategy on student retention and student success and is developed in close co-operation with the educational sector and cultural organizations. The first year of this pilot project targets four regions – Abitibi-Témiscamingue, the National Capital, Montérégie and Montreal.

Student Business program

Apart from having sponsored the Méritas award in the field of arts, culture and communications, Culture pour tous also hosted an intern as part of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal’s Student Business program. This is the second year that we have participated in the program MR3 Montréal Relève, whose mandate is to develop the next generation of workers by helping young people to make an informed career choice. Dorra Bannouri, a Secondary IV student from École secondaire Saint-Luc, got to experience day-to-day life at Culture pour tous.

For details on the program, go to www.projetclassesaffaires.ca/?lang=en

Culture pour tous at the RIA conference in Saragossa

At the 5^th international conference of the Réseau international d’animation (International Community Development Network), held on October 26, 27 and 28 in Saragossa, Spain, Eva Quintas, Projects Director for Culture pour tous, was pleased to present the organization and its Art at Work program. Focusing on the theme Culture, Education and Citizenship, the gathering highlighted culture’s contribution to social change and the importance of going back to valuing cultural participation by citizens.

For more details, go to www.unizar.es/colinanimacion-IEPSA/?lang=en

Yayo receives 2011 Charles Biddle Award

The Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities, and the organization Culture pour tous are proud to announce the 2011 winner of the Charles Biddle Award: Colombian artist Diego Herrera, alias Yayo, children’s book illustrator and cartoonist. The Charles Biddle Award winner was announced at the Journées de la culture launch.

Named for the famous Québec jazzman, the Charles Biddle Award recognizes the exceptional contribution of someone from an immigrant community whose personal or professional commitment has advanced Québec’s cultural development nationally or internationally.

Read the press release: prixcharlesbiddle.culturepourtous.ca

Art in the hospital

Bringing art and culture to the CHUM

The CHUM, under the leadership of its director Christian Paire, has adopted since 2010 a policy of integrating the arts into health care units.

La culture mise en pratique[s]

Treize projets exemplaires issus de nos collectivités, published by Les Arts et la Ville, 2011, 50 p.

A presentation of 13 cultural development projects undertaken in Quebec, Acadia and other francophone communities across Canada. The publication highlights the ingredients for the success of these practices that focus on culture as a key factor in community development.

Coiffer pour changer le monde

TRÉPANIÈRE, Diane, Les éditions du remue-ménage, May 2011, 101 p.

A collective work celebrating a decade of “Coiffer pour changer le monde,” a project resulting from the collaboration of an artist, a hairdresser and her volunteers, and La rue des Femmes/Herstreet, an organization that provides a shelter and services for women in difficulty.

Affirming Collaboration: Community and Humanist Activist Art in Québec and Elsewhere

CHAGNON, Johanne, and Devora NEUMARK, ed., in collaboration with Louise LACHAPELLE, Engrenage Noir/LEVIER, LUX Éditeur and Detselig Enterprises, 2011, 764 p.

A bilingual compilation of interviews with representatives of community and activist art projects, descriptions of initiatives and practical tools, theoretical articles, and reflections stemming from various workshops and training programs.

Simon Brault : prendre fait et cause pour la culture

The book delves into the career and ideas of Simon Brault, a key figure in the Montreal cultural sector. Mr. Brault, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) since 1997, Vice-Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts since 2004 and founding president of the Culture Montréal platform, is without a doubt a leader in the world of arts and culture in Montreal and on a national level.
Written by Laurence Prud'homme, Aurélie Dubois-Prud'homme and Laurent Lapierre

Written by Laurence Prud'homme, Aurélie Dubois-Prud'homme and Laurent Lapierre.

Encouraging kids to stay in school

The Busy Bodies, Active Minds program was created as part of the I Care About School action strategy to encourage students at all secondary levels to stay in school and succeed in their studies. In accordance with Path 9 of the strategy, its goal is to increase students’ participation in extracurricular activities (sports and physical/cultural/ community activities), especially for those at risk of dropping out. A $4 million budget is allocated for activities of a cultural nature. Eligible cultural resources do not necessarily have to be listed in the Répertoire de ressources culture-éducation.

If you would like to develop a project with your high school students, go to www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/jeunesActifs/#

Recognizing Artistic Talent Above and Beyond Our Differences

Call for Nominations for the Janine-Sutto Awards!

The Montreal Association for the Intellectually Handicapped (MAIH) is inviting individuals and organizations from Montreal to submit their candidacy by January 29, 2012. The Janine-Sutto awards highlight the artistic talents of those with an intellectual disability in addition to advancing a positive image for the cause.

Do you know someone living with an intellectual disability who distinguishes themselves by their talent and their artistic activity or by an innovative artistic project where the main participants are persons with intellectual handicaps? Nominate them! Both awards are accompanied by bursaries offered by the City of Montreal’s Réseau Accès Culture.

All information is available at www.amdi.info
or by contacting Julie Laloire, sensibilisation@amdi.info or
514-381-2300 ext. 28