Thanks to funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts is bolstering the outreach of French-Canadian theatre outside Quebec as part of its support for official language minority communities (OLMCs). The support namely translates as funding for delegations to take part in major international events across the Francophonie.
Through the delegations mechanism, francophone theatre companies from Canada can enjoy spaces for encounters and conversations with international Francophonie professionals that could lead to international coproductions.
Delegation 2024
In fall 2024, France will welcome the Festival international de la Francophonie, the Sommet de la Francophonie’s cultural component (Paris, October 2–6) and the international Zébrures d’Automne festival (Limoges, September 26 to October 5).
For a third consecutive year, the Canada Council for the Arts is supporting a delegation of representatives from francophone theatres in Canada. Led by the Théâtre français de Toronto, they will take part in these two major Francophonie events.
The 2024 delegation will be made up of four artistic directors from minority francophone communities across Canada but outside Quebec:
- Karine Ricard, artistic director for the Théâtre français de Toronto (Ontario) and artistic expert for Canada at the Commission internationale du théâtre francophone (CITF)
- Geneviève Pelletier, artistic and executive director for the Théâtre Cercle Molière (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- Bruce McKay, artistic director for La Troupe du Jour (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
- Steve Jodoin, artistic director and general manager for Unithéâtre (Edmonton, Alberta)
Objectives
- Promote encounters and develop professional connections among francophone artists from French-speaking Canada, the French Antilles, Africa and Europe.
- Stimulate artistic exchanges and knowledge-sharing within the Francophonie.
- Encourage artistic collaboration among artists from the Francophonie that will include co-production projects based on principles of cooperation and reciprocity.
- Promote Canada’s Francophonie in all its rich diversity.
Proposed schedule
September 25, 2024: travel to Paris
September 26: travel to Limoges
September 27 to October 3: take part in Les Zébrures d’automne festival (words of welcome by artistic director Hassane Kassi Kouyaté and Secretary-General Quentin Carrissimo-Bertola; targeted meetings with artists and various cultural stakeholders across the Francophonie; shows; readings)
October 4 to 5: travel from Limoges to Paris and professional meetings in Paris, namely at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS, the host of the Village de la Francophonie
October 6: travel from Paris to Canada
“I came back with a renewed feeling of solidarity with my colleagues from everywhere, but also with a serious reminder of the need to spread resources on the ground so that networks remain solid and enduring. These feelings stayed with me throughout several sector-specific meetings since then.”
— Marc-André Charron, artistic director, Satellite Théâtre (Moncton, New Brunswick)
“As a delegation, we used those conversations to promote the Francophonie from outside Quebec and to educate people on our history. This enabled us to promote our milieu and encourage artists to think outside Quebec for potential tours.”
— Cory Haas, artistic director, Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver, British Columbia)
For more information
international.coordination@canadacouncil.ca
613-566-4414, extension 0
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free)
Funded by the Government of Canada.
