10 things to see during N.D.G. Arts Week
N.D.G. Arts Week has grown, but organizers say it retains its small-is-beautiful feeling
Launched on a humble scale in 2010, N.D.G. Arts Week has grown into a model of the neighbourhood festival concept, offering an alternative/complement to the mega-events that define summer in Montreal’s city centre.
This year finds Arts Week in a transitional phase, taking steps to keep growing — even mooting the possibility of staging events throughout the year — while maintaining the grassroots spirit that gives the festival its charm and raison d’être. From its core in N.D.G. Park, the festival is now extending its range as far as Somerled and Prince of Wales to the northwest, and even making forays into Côte-St-Luc.
“We’ve managed to increase activities and budget by about 70 per cent this year,” said Luca Palladino, Arts Week’s executive director and an N.D.G. resident. “It’s about growing the arts in N.D.G. and making it accessible to all residents, ideally for free.
“In N.D.G. you have tended to feel you need to go downtown and mingle with 100,000 people (to get the summertime culture experience), which isn’t necessarily practical for families with toddlers, for example. Also, there has always been a paradox between the number of artists who live here — let’s just say that number is large — and the number of venues for them. We’re looking to redress that imbalance.”
From among N.D.G. Arts Week’s 30 events and 70 performers, here is a representative recommendation of 10. Admission to all events is free.
JE M’APPELLE BIERGARTEN
One thing missing from past Arts Weeks was a natural meeting and gathering point for attendees. That lack has been filled this year with the establishment of a communal beer garden. (Hmm, it does sound better in German, doesn’t it?) The space is officially launched on Wednesday with a meet-and-greet following Opera in the Park (see below) and will function thereafter as not just a social hub, but a place for organized public discussions and exchange. Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 27, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., N.D.G. Park, 3500 Girouard Ave.
OPERA IN THE PARK
Staged under the gazebo in N.D.G. Park to an audience in and around the nearby drained wading pool, this is one of Arts Week’s flagship events. The fruit
of singer/producer Nadia Neiazy’s mission to bring opera to the people has worked wonders on a shoestring budget. This year’s production is G.B. Pergolesi’s comic opera La Serva Padrona. Rest assured you don’t need to be fluent in the Renaissance-period Italian dialect to get the musical and comic effect. As mentioned above, attendees can meet and mingle with the performers afterward in the Biergarten. Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., N.D.G. Park. In case of rain, the event will be staged at River’s Edge Community Church, 5567 Côte-StAntoine Rd.
BELLES-LETTRES
A fitting event for a neighbourhood where it sometimes feels like every other person you bump into is a writer, held in a café where the concentration of literati often reaches Mile Endesque proportions. This year sees the prose-and-poetry tripleheader Kanada: Words That Imprison Us, Words That Liberate Us, readings on the theme of identity featuring Karla Osorio, Kaie Kellough and Greg Santos. Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., Shäika Café, 5526 Sherbrooke St. W.
NOTRE DAMN GOOD COMEDY SHOW
A venue whose weekly open-mic standup night (recently discontinued, hopefully soon to be revived) was a neighbourhood institution for years is the perfect spot for this multi-comic event featuring standups who either live in the district, make jokes about it or both. (Note: performances are in English only.) Tuesday, Aug. 22, 8 to 10 p.m., Shäika Café.
STREET VIBES
Featuring an array of rap and rap-related performers ranging from established figures on the local scene to aspiring artists making their first stage appearances, this promises to be an illuminating showcase for local hip-hop talent and a possible sneak preview of the next generation of homegrown stars.
N.D.G. OFF THE WALL
A mainstay of Arts Week since its inception and one of the go-to events of the year for all those with a serious interest in Montreal’s film culture. Off the Wall features outdoor screenings of short films varying widely in form and content, their common link provided by N.D.G. themes and connections.
CINEMA N.D.G. UNDER THE STARS
Anyone who has attended this event at past festivals will tell you there’s something about watching a movie outside at night that adds an element of ineffable magic to the cinematic experience. This year’s feature is the Canadian/Irish co-production Maudie, Aisling Walsh’s period drama starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. In English with French subtitles. Bring your own chairs and blankets. Thursday, 8:30 p.m., N.D.G. Park. In the event of rain, the screening will be cancelled.
SAMEDI IN THE PARK
A scaled-down version of the mammoth downtown free-stage events sees the concert vibe injected into a neighbourhood backdrop, with sets from the Damn Truth, Clay and Friends, and Ms. Holmes. Saturday, Aug. 26, 6 to 10 p.m., N.D.G. Park.
ART WALK
An immersive, participatory concept that takes some of its inspiration from the hugely popular N.D.G. Porchfest. This is a multimedia event, fully integrated into the neighbourhood, featuring make-your-own-art Art Hives, an open sculpture studio, a giant puppet parade and more. To get a sense of Art Walk’s scale and variety, consult the map on Page 16 of the festival program at artsndg.ca. Saturday, Aug. 26, noon to 5 p.m., Sherbrooke St. from Hampton Ave. to Harvard Ave.
SUNSET SUR SOMERLED
An ambitious stretching of Arts Week’s geographical range takes it to a part of N.D.G. that hasn’t often experienced things like this. The intersection of Somerled and Prince of Wales Aves. will be pedestrianized, and the focus will be on music. Headliners Voodoo Jazz are supported on the outdoor stage by fellow neighbourhood ensembles Bayou St. Laurent, Eleuthera and Strange Froots. All are danceable, so choose your footwear accordingly. Sunday, Aug. 27, 4 to 8 p.m.