The free admission to Journées de la culture, 25 years after their creation, remains exceptional in the Quebec ecosystem. “We are not in the marketing of art, we are really in access to art and in democratization”, affirms one of the ambassadors of this 25e edition, Lydia Bouchard. During these three days, “it doesn’t matter where you come from, whether your family brings you there or doesn’t take you there, you have the power and the freedom to go and see art”, indicates the one who occupies one of the judges’ chairs on the dance show Revolution.
The dancer, choreographer and director recalls that these days help people “to get rid of the shackles or the idea that culture is just to love opera, ballet, theater or museums”. For the versatile artist, culture is found above all at home, in “the way we sing songs to each other at night.” It’s the way we tell each other our stories, our jokes too ! “
By his side, Guillaume Lambert, who sponsors the activity “J’aime les mots”, continues with the idea that culture is found in our homes. “We saw it during the pandemic. We needed culture when we were confined to our living rooms. Culture has found a way to squeeze in and be accessible and affordable. “
According to the actor, digital technology has played an important role in the cultural sphere, causing the most significant change in recent decades. He gives some examples: “the democratization of film in the cinema, the accessibility of music on prime listening platforms, social networks, the fact of discovering an artist thanks to someone that we perhaps knew. at some point in another life ”, among others.
Behind the scenes
The democratization of culture comes at a cost, however. According to Normand Brathwaite, also ambassador of the event, funding is sorely lacking in the community, which has the consequence of reducing creation time, explains the host, who remembers his first sets where the pressure was not the same. “When I played in At Denise, it seems to me that we had time, ”he says, commemorating this television series from the 1980s. Lydia Bouchard confirms that the lack of funding is a scourge. “We are not asking for charity. It’s a lucrative industry, but you have to give it time. The teams are tired, they are burnt. “
“We saw it with the pandemic: [créateurs ont été les] first arrested and the last to leave, says Guillaume Lambert. Often people have multiple jobs to earn a living wage. “
And again, that is not always enough. “During the pandemic, there are people I know who lost their homes,” says Normand Brathwaite. “And not little names. People who have been there for years. People whose names are worth something, ”he adds with a low face.
This precariousness arises as a primary problem in industry, together with psychological distress. According to a study published in March 2021 and conducted by seven associations in the field of arts and culture, 43% of the 2,117 respondents had symptoms of major depression in the past year. Of these, 1 in 10 craftsmen said they had thoughts of suicide.
“We are going through very difficult things on that side. There is a great wave of suicides in the arts community, ”says Lydia Bouchard. She goes on to say that “it is without a net”. “It is one of the most precarious jobs. You don’t know if everything will stop tomorrow morning. “
Solutions do exist, however, she argues, such as European creative residencies which give artists time or even performance security, which financially supports artisans in the field.
Love and time
The fact remains that Quebec has made giant leaps in terms of diversity, representativeness and parity in cultural productions. “We’re not at the end of it, but there is really a huge amount of work being done,” she adds. Women are taking on new roles. “Regarding women,” it’s true, “confirms Normand Brathwaite. “I’ve been doing this for 41 years and, at the beginning, especially in music, girls …” To which Guillaume Lambert quickly adds: “Well yes, what did we wait to give them a voice? “
And Lydia Bouchard to outbid: “Before, women artists, they produced anyway. It’s just that they wrote symphonies and gave them to men to sign. We were there, just nobody knew. While there, we are at the front of the scene. “This new diversity bodes well, according to Guillaume Lambert, who believes that the culture of the coming years will be” abundant and diversified “or not.
Lydia Bouchard agrees, as long as we give culture the necessary resources to flourish. “Ideas, creativity, that has a value. And it is very difficult to calculate it in hours of work from 9 to 5. You have to give the art of love and time, and it will radiate, ”she concludes.
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