(Re)confinement and the shuttering of cultural spaces hurts. To use Michel Marc Bouchard’s words: “We have been betrayed. Betrayed by a government that failed to acknowledge our efforts and results when enforcing its own guidelines.”
I am torn between sadness and anger when I think of all the energy the cultural sector put into creating and presenting performances to live audiences despite all the obstacles. All of it swept aside like a nasty slap in the face.
For our part, after postponing the event Danse ton parc co-presented with Hélène Langevin and Bouge de là, we must now postpone the performance of Falling Slowly by Peter Trosztmer. These two outdoor performances mean a lot to us, and we wouldn’t cancel them for anything in the world. Instead, they will be presented in 2021 once it is again possible to do so.
When I decided on Resilience as the theme for this 9th edition of Phénomena, I hoped it would be a period of restoration and of collective rebuilding, and that slowly we would begin gathering, dreaming, moving, collaborating. That moment is still far off, but I feel combative and attentive. And now, more than ever, we must be attentive to others in order to protect the cultural sector and all our artists, designers, organizers, technicians, artistic directors, artisans and other essential, indispensable, skilled, dedicated, experienced, inspired, passionate people who make our community as rich and unique as it is. A community I am proud to be a part of. Respect.
—D. Kimm
Artistic Director
Les Filles électriques / Festival Phénomena