A Quick History
What started out as a relatively small cultural event has grown exponentially over the years and turned into, according to Culture Pour Tous president and CEO Louise Sicuro, a movement of cultural democratization. The 2008 edition alone boasted 8,000 artists participating in 205 cities across the province of Quebec. The city of Montreal, by itself, hosted over 350 activities squeezed into the Journées de la Culture's three-day movement. In 2009, the province of Quebec hosts over 1,000 events, with more than 300 activities in Montreal.
Free For All: Democratizing Arts & Culture
As per every Journées de la Culture edition, all activities are free to the public, perhaps in light of the, let's admit it, costly reality of participating in and/or attending many arts & cultural activities -- e.g., the "cheap" tickets for an Opéra de Montreal presentation are over $40 -- making arts and culture accessible to every socioeconomic background, at least for the duration of the three-day movement. The artists themselves help make Journées de la Culture remain free by volunteering their time, talent and energy.
From Animation to Theatre: It's All Interactive!
While the first rule of artist involvement in Journées de la Culture is that activities must be offered free of charge, the second rule is events must be interactive, involving the public in discussions, workshops, walking tours, even the performances themselves. And the disciplines are as varied as the involvement of the public, including activities, often with a multicultural edge, in:
- animation
- architecture
- arts and crafts
- circus arts
- electronic arts
- visual art
- film and video
- dance
- history
- humor
- literature
- music
- museology
- opera
- theatre
Another decidedly democratic feature of Journées de la Culture is the free shuttle bus service offered to the public. Consult the Journées de la Culture website for maps, route details and list of shuttle bus stops throughout the weekend portion of the three-day event.
For more information on the latest edition of Journées de la Culture and the hundreds of free activities and events offered, please consult the Journées de la Culture website.
*The word "national" is not used in the general sense of the term. In this context, "national" refers to the province of Quebec, underlining the province's official status as a distinct nation within Canada, highlighting the unique nature of Quebec society and culture.
