Development of a participatory installation for public spaces, supported by canadian cities member of the UNESCO creative cities network

Call for proposals

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership in Montreal, ExpoCité in Quebec City and Yonge Dundas Square (YDS) in Toronto, supported by the City of Montreal, City of Toronto, City of Quebec City and City of London, Ontario, are jointly issuing a call for proposals for a participatory installation for public spaces. This call, for which Quartier des spectacles international acts as executive producer, stems from the three organizations’ shared vision of public space as territory to be explored by artists and the public.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this call for proposals is to invite creative teams to develop a concept that includes a component of each discipline of the partner cities: literature (Quebec), design (Montreal), media arts (Toronto) and music (London).

Proposals submitted in response to this call must clearly demonstrate the integration of each city’s creative field in relation to its UNESCO designation:

Through the collaboration of talents from the partner cities whose discipline is related to each city's designation.
And/or by integrating an artistic component or element from the partner cities in line with each city's designation.

The selection process of this call for proposals is divided into two steps:

Step 1: Call for expressions of interest (Deadline: August 2)
Step 2: Development of the concept by 3 finalist teams (Deadline: September 27)

The creative team chosen at the conclusion of the selection process will be invited to create and build a complete design. The interactive installation will be presented starting in fall 2024 in Quebec City, followed by the other three cities.

ELIGIBILITY

To take part in the call for proposals, creative teams must come from one, two or more of the following partner cities: Montreal, London, Quebec City and Toronto. The Co-producers foster collaboration among participants from every partner city.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

At the conclusion of the first stage of the call for proposals, the jury will select three Creative Teams on the basis of these selection criteria:

Composition of the creative team in terms of members’ experience and expertise in presenting outdoor projects
Quality and relevance of the portfolio projects
Quality and originality of the preliminary idea
Inclusion of the UCCN values and creative fields

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

READ THE FULL CALL HERE

To submit a file, please send all required documents no later than August 2, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EDT in the form of a single PDF in landscape orientation, by email or WeTransfer link to: projets@quartierdesspectacles.com

File names must be structured as follows: TeamName_ProjectTitle_Step1.pdf

CALL FOR PROPOSALS CALENDAR

Step 1 – Call for expressions of interest

Call for proposals issued: June 28, 2023
Deadline for submitting presentation file: August 2, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EDT
Announcement of the 3 selected teams: August 30, 2023

Step 2 – Development of concept

Starting: August 30, 2023
Question period: until September 13, 2023
Deadline for submitting proposals: September 27, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. EDT
Virtual presentations by the 3 teams: week of October 2, 2023
Announcement of the winning team: October 21, 2023

ABOUT QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montréal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues as well as numerous festivals and events. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design and immersive environments. The Quartier des Spectacles has become an international showcase for digital public art.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal. 

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

ABOUT EXPOCITÉ

Located in the center of Québec City, ExpoCité is an ideal event venue that welcomes over 2 million visitors every year. ExpoCité is a vast urban site with a vast selection of indoor and outdoor facilities. It is home to some of the most popular cultural, sports and corporate events in the city.

Ideal for small get-togethers as well as larger gatherings, Place Jean-Béliveau is located right at the heart of ExpoCité. Featuring lots of greenery, a pleasant walkway and a wide range of recreational and other activities, this festive and inclusive urban space has something for everyone! This huge public space can accommodate up to 10,000 people for outdoor events of all kinds in every season.

More information: expocite.com/en/about-expocite/

ABOUT YONGE DUNDAS SQUARE

Yonge Dundas Square (YDS) is a unique focal point of the downtown Toronto community. The Square is designated for use as a public open space and as an event venue that can accommodate events of various sizes. You'll discover a wide range of activities on the Square: community celebrations, theatrical events, concerts, receptions, promotions – events that appeal to residents and tourists alike and provide a showcase for local businesses. YDS Board of Management is an agency of the City of Toronto.

More information: ydsquare.ca/about-us

Finalists

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, ExpoCité and Yonge-Dundas Square, supported by the City of Montreal, City of Toronto, City of Quebec City and City of London, Ontario, are pleased to announce the winner and finalists of the call for proposals for a participatory installation for public spaces, inspired by the disciplines of these UNESCO Creative Cities: literature (Quebec), design (Montreal), media arts (Toronto) and music (London).

The jury, made up of partners and experts in industrial design, public art and literature, named Montreal studio Kleis as the winner for their Celestia proposal. The designers clearly demonstrated their understanding of the brief, and proposed a project that was perfectly suited to the reality of public spaces.

The finalists offered unique and convincing proposals. First, a consortium from Quebec City and Montreal, H2Emotion and Lemay offered Field of Love, and O2 Design, a team from Toronto, submitted the Magical Mushrooms installation.

For the next phase of the project, Quartier des spectacles international will act as executive producer and distributor of the Celestia installation.

Celestia by Kleis

Celestia is an art installation inspired by the mythical constellation of the Pleiades, symbolizing the universality of art across time and space. This immersive experience invites visitors to interact and explore art and history in all its forms, transcending linguistic, cultural and social boundaries.

The installation seamlessly integrates literature, music, design and media art. Each element is carefully designed to evoke the magic of the Pleiades, with a special collaboration between Kleis and writer and poet Carolanne Foucher to bring a unique literary dimension. It's a memorable composition of identity that transports visitors on an artistic odyssey where past, present and mythology merge with innovation.

Céleste

Field of Love by Lemay et H2Emotion

Field of love evokes the power of love as a creative force, the thread which weaves us together and has power to unite us beyond gender, ethnicity and social status.

A pulse of light, sound, music and poetry immerses visitors as they approach and enter the installation’s sensory experience, enlivening the heart and flowing outward to the public space surrounding it.

Field of love is a landmark that tempts curiosity and attracts the eye. It’s a unifying space where love is cultivated and sown, where love is a catalyst for works of art, and works of art are a catalyst for love.

Field of love

Magical mushrooms by O2 Design

Magical Mushrooms invites users to engage in a fresh urban folklore. It transforms four public spaces into enchanting sensory playgrounds. Historically, the forest was used as an escape — Magical Mushrooms brings the mystery of the forest into daily life. The mushrooms emit a continuous glow. When approached, the light intensifies and shifts its colours, mimicking mycelium communication. Once activated, a magical melodic sound fills the air—emulating sounds of mushrooms in the forest. Unifying the experience, inscribed folklore adorns the forest logs, adding another layer of intricacy and wonder.

The project integrates literature, design, media arts, and music to provide a quiet respite from busy city life. Magical Mushrooms recreates nature's playground inviting all ages and abilities to participate in its magical, calming sensory environment.

O2

Lauréat