Mutual support makes art matter in Montreal
Artistic communities’ greatest resource is each other, according to cultural curators
Montreal and Quebec at large enjoy a well-earned reputation for being home to robust arts communities and are recognized far and wide as a haven for entertainment and cultural enrichment. Social and cultural diversity are commonly cited as the qualities that make our arts landscape so attractive to locals and
visitors alike.
But it’s not just something in the water that makes us unique. The arts community in Montreal faces its own challenges in harnessing these diversities and building a sense of commonality in purpose across communities. And the tireless grassroots efforts of independent cultural curators that encourage inclusion, accessibility and mutual support among artists are often the ties that bind.
“It’s not easy, but I’d say the most enjoyable parts (of event organizing) are seeing people — acts and entities that come from the same respective community without even realizing it — come together, discover each other and make their community more powerful and actualized,” said Magassy M’bow, a Montreal multidisciplinary artist who also work tirelessly as an arts community organizer.
M’bow, through her work with organizations like Suoni Per Il Popolo and Hip Hop You Don’t Stop, has helped program and organize music festivals, cultural discussion panels and fundraising events to help community organizations, social justice causes and youth-oriented music programs like Rock Camp Montreal and Nobad Sound studio, which offers free music production training to kids from underserved communities in the city.
And that’s all while working on her own crafts as a cartoonist and a musician with her hip hop project, Strange Froots.
“Montreal is so small,” M’bow said. “And yet you quickly realize how many folks don’t work with each other, but should.
“So I guess the easiest part is convincing them to do so, because it’s always a matter of (connecting) a few mutual friends and followers to gain that trust and confidence that this isn’t a matter of shoehorning anyone.”
The consideration that merit is as important as representation is shared among arts promoters. Preserving the integrity of Quebec’s cultural arts scene while at the same time contributing to its growth and diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Sarah Armiento, a Gatineau native who has called Montreal home for the past five years, works with an all-female roster at Hot Tramp Records, a music label and talent management company. Armiento also books events at the Diving Bell Social Club on St. Laurent Blvd.
Her success so far in both of these roles, she says, has had a lot to do with reciprocal community support.
“(At Diving Bell) we try to speak to as many community groups as we can and be representative of the community that we’re serving,” said Armiento, noting that as a multiperformance space, the venue values all types of expression, from music to comedy to drag events.
“We work with the big promoters making connections, but give space to smaller artists who may have trouble booking shows. We try to keep some slots open for intake like that, and keep in mind newer promoters and artists,” she explained.
With Hot Tramp, Armiento noted that provincial employment programs like Young Volunteers made it possible to grow and gain exposure in a relatively short time since its beginnings in 2019. But she largely credits community support for the label’s word-ofmouth success.
“When something new came, the community was very supportive. If I would have tried to start Hot Tramp in Toronto, I don’t know if it would have gone the same way, but it seemed like my flow here in this city worked well for me. I think there was a want for it,” she said.
Established arts festivals like POP Montreal were supportive, she added, emphasizing that the level of community acceptance is motivating in a competitive, relatively small community like Montreal.
Melissa Proietti, director of Under Pressure, Montreal’s annual, not-for-profit festival of street art, dance and music, has over a decade of experience in working with hundreds of volunteers to make the event a truly inclusive community experience.
One of the things that keeps the festival’s community strong, she explained, is its attention to accessibility and inclusion.
“If things are more accessible and younger generations of people see that not only as, ‘I can see it and I know it’s happening,’ but also, ‘I can participate and see myself in these roles,’ then eventually they can participate (in cultural arts) in any way they want,” Proietti said.
“It takes a while for those kinds of shifts to happen. So the first thing you have to do is try to make it more open and encourage all different types of people.”