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The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership welcomes members of the Global Cultural Districts Network to Montreal



Press release - For immediate release


Montreal, February 24, 2015 – At the invitation of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, members of the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) will meet in Montreal on February 27 and 28. They will focus their attention on the ways in which cultural districts are transforming the urban landscape, and will discuss programming strategies and potential content-related alliances.

Picking up where the Je vois Montréal forum left off in November 2014, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is seeking to engage the group in a reflection on new approaches to producing works specifically for public spaces. The goal is to share expertise and resources, resulting in the creation of innovative, powerful works that are ready to tour the world.

The meeting will also set the stage for the fourth summit of the New Cities Foundation, one of the GCDN’s founding organizations. The event will take place this June in Jakarta, Indonesia. It will be the second summit in which the GCDN has participated since its inception in 2014.

“Being a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network helps us access a prestigious network, draw inspiration from one another, and connect with a global pool of creators”, said Quartier des Spectacles Partnership chair Jacques Primeau. “All this will allow us to enrich our programming for the benefit of Montrealers and visitors, and help us create a stunning program for Montreal’s 375th anniversary in 2017. It will be a showcase for our creative talent, which has the potential to generate tremendous international exposure.”

“We are thrilled that the Quartier des Spectacles is hosting this gathering, and especially that it coincides with Nuit Blanche. What the QDS has achieved here in creative place making, and the compelling programming of public spaces, is something remarkable – remarkable enough to get people from Shanghai and Sydney to visit in these temperatures!” said Adrian Ellis, director of the Global Cultural Districts Network. “We have much to learn from Montreal and from each other. This is an opportunity to discuss honestly the different and often subtle ingredients of success.”

The meeting will bring together representatives of more than 20 of the world’s most dynamic organizations doing work related to cultural districts:

  • Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Sydney, Australia
  • Barbican Centre, London, U.K.
  • Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, U.S.A.
  • Brussels Major Events, Brussels, Belgium
  • City of Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
  • Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, U.S.A.
  • Festivals Edinburgh, Scotland
  • International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven, U.S.A.
  • International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), New York, U.S.A.
  • Kolar Design Inc., Cincinnati, U.S.A.
  • National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, U.S.A.
  • New Cities Foundation, Paris, France
  • Shanghai High Noon Art and Cultural Center, China
  • The City of Edinburgh Council, Scotland
  • The Dallas Arts District, U.S.A.
  • The Trust for Governors Island, New York, U.S.A.
  • University Circle, Cleveland,U.S.A.

Local participants:

  • Centre d’échange culturel Chine-Canada, Canada
  • National Film Board of Canada, Montreal, Canada
  • Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Montreal, Canada
  • Ville de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership scheduled the meeting to coincide with the Montréal en lumière festival. With total attendance of more than one million, the festival is a fine example of a highly successful event in the Quartier des Spectacles. It is a showcase for Montreal-based ingenuity and expertise in the programming of public spaces, even when faced with the challenge of harsh winter weather.

About the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is a non-profit organization comprising some 60 members active in the district. Its board of directors includes representatives of cultural organizations and institutions, educational institutions, business, municipal government and local residents. The Partnership’s permanent team has approximately 20 members who program lively cultural activities for the Quartier des Spectacles. The team is also responsible for the Quartier’s public spaces, specialized equipment, lighting and promotion.

About the Global Cultural Districts Network

Founded in 2014, the Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) is a federation of centres of arts and culture. Its mission is to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing among those responsible for conceiving, funding, building and operating cultural districts. The GCDN is an initiative of the New Cities Foundation, the Dallas Arts District and AEA Consulting. The nine other founding members are the Barbican Centre (London, U.K.), the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (Sydney, Australia), the City of Sydney (Australia), the Brooklyn Cultural District and Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York, U.S.A.), the Edinburgh Festivals (Scotland), the Grand Center (St. Louis, U.S.A.), the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership (Montreal, Canada), the Sharjah Museums Department (Sharjah, U.A.E.) and the University Circle (Cleveland, U.S.A.).

About the New Cities Foundation

The New Cities Foundation is an independent non-profit organization founded in 2010. Its mission is to shape a better urban future for all by generating and scaling ideas through events, research and urban innovation projects. In all its activities, the Foundation works with leaders from business, government, academia, civil society, the media and the arts.

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Media enquiries Marie-Joëlle Corneau
mariejoelle.corneau@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 348-9676