REPORT OF THE 13^th EDITION OF THE JOURNÉES DE LA CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 25, 26 and 27, 2009

The 13^th: a Good Luck edition!

This year artists, municipalities, the media and citizens once again heeded the call! Under the gastronomic theme of “Cultural Buffet” all were invited to the Journées de la culture’s grand and festive buffet on September 25, 26 and 27, 2009.

Encounters, discoveries, exchanges and surprising events were on the menu. And people promptly helped themselves to all the goodies!

More than 300,000 people showed up for the date. 8,000 artists, artisans and cultural workers, spread around 331 cities and towns in Québec, set the table; and all of this on a completely voluntary basis. Even municipalities participated more than ever before in the smooth running of the Journées: in 2008 they were 180 and this year, 238. This enthusiasm was also made evident in the number of cities that signed the Municipal declaration movement to promote culture. Since February 2009, 69 among them have signed the Declaration, for a total number of 276.

A similar momentum was apparent in the Montréal school milieu. For the 2^nd edition of Time out… for school groups, 2,000 youth and accompanying adults participated in the special activities held on the Friday of the Journées de la culture. Primary and secondary level students were offered over fifty magical occasions to meet artists. An initiative that will hopefully be spread beyond the island of Montréal, an expansion that should looks to be just around the corner.

All this fervor was to a large extent generated by our publicity campaign, which was widely disseminated in the media. 2 million Québécois enjoyed the campaign’s humour and creativity which received vast media coverage on all supports, from newspapers to Internet as well as on the radio and in magazines. The enthusiasm also made itself felt on the free shuttle buses which crisscrossed the city; an initiative supported by Groupe Financier Banque TD in collaboration with the Société de transport de Montréal.

In any case, whatever the means used by the thousands of participants throughout Québec to get to the hundreds of activities presented during the Journées de la culture, everybody was carried away with happiness! A feeling that was widely shared by all those who made it possible, starting with the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine and the ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire, our partners among which Hydro-Québec and Groupe Financier Banque TD, and the TV and radio stations and networks, Internet sites, as well as the numerous volunteers.
www.journeesdelaculture.qc.ca