Montreal theatres celebrate
return to live performance

Intercultural Conversations-Conversations Interculturelles awards $194,500 to various theatrical groups

July 9, 2021

Encouraging theatrical dialogue between the various cultures in Montreal

Ever creative, theatre artists have made their way through these trying times, whether exploring and sharing digital performance, researching and writing new works, or teaching a variety of online classes.

Barry Cole, President and Chair, The Cole Foundation

Nevertheless, the excitement of returning to the stage is palpable. The Cole Foundation’s Intercultural Conversations-Conversations Interculturelles (IC-CI) program has been a lifeline for local theatre companies throughout the uncertainty. For the recent spring competition, 12 companies were given crucial grants to bolster diverse and inclusive theatrical stories in Greater Montreal for a total of $194,500 for the 2021-22 season, as well as added funding for post-show audience talkbacks to continue the conversation initiated in the play.

Cole Foundation President and Chairman Barry Cole is proud to announce this latest round of grant winners. “There have been a number of returning companies where work supported by the Foundations’ Intercultural Conversations-Conversations Interculturelles program is now an integral part of their seasons’ programming. I am honoured to have helped influence the landscape of Quebec theatre and will continue to encourage and foster intercultural and multilingual theatrical works in order to sustain current companies and inspire new ones, be they independent or long-established members of the professional theatre community.”

The dialogue continues, creatively mirroring our present experiences

Théâtre ExLibris, L’Ombre des volcans – Image: courtesy of the Cole Foundation

The pandemic has enabled time for focused play development, as reflected in a third of the grants funding commissions. Companies have also been motivated by current news, including racial bias in security software algorithms, issues around promoting workplace diversity, and sixties scoop survivors. Theatrical styles and inspirations offer one-person shows, drama, autobiography, history, comedy and classical texts given a modern, Afro-descendant spin.

Play submissions encompass a widespread range of cultures and identities. Anticipated works, written by both emerging and awarded playwrights, present themes and ideas about the privilege of colour; various countries including Tunisia, Guatemala, Haiti and Iran, understanding one’s roots, Indigenous activism, Jewish culture, not appearing ‘enough’ of a visible minority, Martin Luther King on his last night, entrenched colonial history, and a mix of languages that share roots and expressions.

Recipients of the latest competition

In this past trying time, the Foundation’s support has been a lifeline for theatre companies. Marc-André Boyes-Manseau, Espace Libre‘s administrative director and co-general manager, is thankful for the Cole Foundation’s support to the artistic community throughout the pandemic. “We are especially grateful to be able to continue presenting works created by seasoned, avant-garde artists who push the boundaries of theatre, and who question and explore different forms of performances and relationships with audiences,” he said.

Simoniaques Théâtre, Je suis un produit – Image: courtesy of the Cole Foundation

Zach Fraser is the new artistic director of Infinithéâtre. “Both of our projects live in the spirit of intercultural conversations; a new work by our first annual Artist-in-Residence, Drew Hayden Taylor, as well as the English-language premiere of a fantastical, heartfelt family epic. We can’t wait to keep conversations growing as we begin a gradual return to live theatre and the development of important community connections,” said Fraser.

“At this time when the planet is upside down, thanks to the Cole Foundation we are able to focus in-depth about our upcoming project, À l’ombre des volcans and the North-South links that unite us, between Guatemala and Quebec; a beautiful opportunity to let whatever rumbles, speak,” said Nicolas Gendron, artistic director of ExLibris Theatre.

From Simoniaques Théâtre’s Artistic Director Simon Boudreault, “The Cole Foundation is an increasingly vital support in the Montreal theatre scene. Thanks to its support from playwriting to production, we have been able to germinate, grow and flourish this project, allowing us to create a rich and explosive work.”

Théâtre de la Sentinelle is a first-time IC-CI grant recipient. “Receiving help from the Cole Foundation in this time of crisis shows us there is a ray of hope for the performing arts. The Foundation supports projects and emerging companies trying to leave their mark on the Quebec cultural imagination. This is an important and significant motivator for our latest creation; a way of saying that our ideas have an immense reach and that there is a place for a voice that is unfortunately not heard often enough,” said Lyndz Dantiste, company cofounder.

Commissioning grants

Infinithéâtre – Open House by Drew Hayden Taylor
Tableau D’Hôte Theatre – Nakuset by Heather White
The Other Theatre – How We Lost Control of Our Faces by Stacey Christodoulou and company
Théâtre ExLibris – L’Ombre des volcans by Nicolas Gendron

Production grants

Infinithéâtre – Omi Mouna by Mohsen El Gharbi
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts – Admissions by Joshua Harmon
The Segal Centre for Performing Arts – English by Sanaz Toossi
Simoniaques Théâtre – Je suis un produit by Simon Boudreault
Théâtre aux Écuries – Mononk Jules by Jocelyn Sioui
Duceppe – Au sommet de la montagne (The Mountaintop) by Katori Hall, translated by Edith Kabuya
Espace Libre and Théâtre de la Sentinelle – Qui veut la peau d’Antigone based on Sophocles

Translation grant

Théâtre de la Sentinelle – Andromaque Sa’a adapted & translated by Lyndz Dantiste with Elena Stoodley

There are two annual Intercultural Conversations- Conversations Interculturelles grants, in October and April. The deadline for the next competition of the award is Friday, October 1, 2021, at 5 pm. Theatre companies interested in applying for a grant can download the necessary application forms and information from the Cole Foundation’s website.

colefoundation.ca/en/programmes/intercultural-conversations

Feature image: Théâtre de la Sentinelle, Andromaque Sa’a, courtesy Cole Foundation  Read also: Past articles about Intercultural Conversations

The Cole Foundation is a private family foundation based in Montreal, initiated in 1980 by the late J. N. (Jack) Cole, a Montreal businessman and philanthropist. It supports research in pediatric leukemia and related diseases, as well as a programme of support for community initiatives, including Intercultural Conversations. The catalyst for Intercultural Conversations was the Bouchard-Taylor Commission which recognized the multi-cultures of Montreal and the need to increase the intercultural dialogue between these communities. Barry Cole has had a 30-year career in the management of the performing arts, with an emphasis on classical music. He has been the Chair and President of the Cole Foundation for the past 13 years.