Les Jardins Gamelin

Montreal, April 25, 2018 – Les Jardins Gamelin’s fourth season will mirror the city: diverse, lively and inclusive. From May 17 to September 30, this major animation and temporary design project, located in Place Émilie-Gamelin, will delight residents and visitors, who will once again enjoy dancing with Salsafolie, family fun with the activity leaders from Randolph and La Maison jaune, kids’ entertainment with Les Petits bonheurs, or concerts seen from Montreal’s biggest and greenest terrasse.

Enthusiastically led by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership in collaboration with the borough of Ville-Marie and many other partners, the fourth season of Les Jardins Gamelin will officially begin with a grand opening evening on Thursday, May 17 starting at 5 p.m. in Place Émilie-Gamelin. The evening will feature more than 30 Montreal artists.

A PLACE FOR COEXISTENCE AND A SOCIAL REINTEGRATION INITIATIVE

In just a few years, Les Jardins Gamelin have emerged as a model for the revitalization, re-adoption and animation of public space. The square’s welcoming, safe and human-scaled temporary design, inclusive values and cultural and citizen-focused activities have made Les Jardins Gamelin an exceptional shared space. This annual redesign is an essential part of summer for families and other residents, as well as for downtown workers, who have all embraced the space. The initiative embodies Montrealers’ neighbourly character.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership works closely with the area’s stakeholders. Several local organizations play a social outreach role in the Jardins or run public health projects involving members of marginalized groups who frequent the square. The Jardins Gamelin Ambassador committee was also organized with the neighbourhood’s institutions and businesses, as a forum for discussing shared concerns related to the living space that is Place Émilie-Gamelin.

Lastly, the program of activities plays an essential role in the rehabilitation of Place Émilie-Gamelin, by encouraging use of the space by a broad social mix and making the space a lively gathering place. To that end, urban agriculture is a key part of the overall Jardins Gamelin concept. Once again this year, the social greening organization Sentier Urbain will be in charge of beautifying the space as well as hosting awareness workshops and inviting people to come do some gardening. Some of the food grown will be shared with neighbourhood residents. In 2017, Sentier Urbain won the Novae community relations and living environment award for its work in Les Jardins Gamelin.

A PROGRAM OF OLD FAVOURITES AND EXCITING NEW ACTIVITIES

Every day until 11 p.m., Les Jardins Gamelin will buzz with free activities that encourage visitors to move, have fun and relax. Striking a balance between pleasure and discovery, the fourth season will reflect the city’s impressive cultural and artistic diversity with more than 600 Montreal artists from 25 different backgrounds. A wide variety of festivals and special events will also enliven the Jardins.

Now an essential family destination, Les Jardins Gamelin welcomes kids to La Maison jaune for free creative workshops and guided activities related to life in the Jardins. This season, the playful space created by designers Castor and Pollux will be even more welcoming, and adapted to offer more shade, furniture and games for children and parents. And every Sunday, the Petits bonheurs organization invites kids from infancy to age 12 to enjoy shows and workshops led by professional artists.

Music has pride of place in the programming, with local musicians and DJs, both up-and-coming and established, setting the mood on the terrasse stage all week, including Saturdays for the new retro brunch. The Jardins’ much-appreciated signature series of original cultural activities will also return. Enjoy an evening of dancing in the Jardins, or relax with yoga and meditation sessions, new this year. With the facilitators from Randolph, Les Jardins Gamelin will be the place to play, with a huge selection of games for every taste and hilarious trivia nights.

On the physical side, the terrasse will be expanded, with more room for get-togethers, along with plenty of planters and greenery to make this downtown spot a lush oasis. The snack bar returns with Dominic St-Laurent’s team and an exclusive menu including happy hour specials and a kids’ menu.

The complete program will be released on May 17: quartiedesspectacles.com/jardinsgamelin

^{Nomadic Massive. Photo: Evan Shay}

MAY 17: OPENING NIGHT WITH THE GYPSY KUMBIA ORCHESTRA AND NOMADIC MASSIVE

Reflecting the diversity of the city and the many artistic practices and genres found here and in the Jardins throughout the 2018 season, the opening night festivities for Les Jardins Gamelin will include a series of performances including spoken-word, acrobatics, DJs and live music. The Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra kicks things off at 5:30 p.m. with a roving performance in the Jardins, while Nomadic Massive will close the event with its Afrobeat and multicultural hip-hop. The indigenous percussionists of the Red Tail Spirit Singers will also take the stage, as will electro-pop singer-songwriter Debbie Tebbs. Lastly, to open the season on an awe-inspiring note, there will be a flight of butterflies from Sentier Urbain’s butterfly tent.

^{Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra, Photo: Éric Berteau. Debbie Tebbs, Photo: François Nadeau. Red Tail Spirit Singers.}

LES JARDINS GAMELIN
Open daily until 11 p.m.
All activities are free.

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À PROPOS DES JARDINS GAMELIN

In the spring of 2015, Place Émilie-Gamelin showed a new face to Quartier des Spectacles residents and visitors with Les Jardins Gamelin, open from May to October. A large, green and inviting civic space in the heart of downtown, Les Jardins Gamelin return every year with an original temporary layout and a versatile set of facilities. The space’s unique, accessible and human-scale programming, now in its fourth season, has become a part of daily life for residents and visitors, making Les Jardins Gamelin an inclusive gathering place in true Montreal style. The initiative, led by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, is produced in collaboration with Pépinière & co, Sentier Urbain and numerous partners, with the financial support of the borough of Ville-Marie.

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 70 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 is supported by the Ville de Montréal.

For more information, visit quartierdesspectacles.com

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Media relations

Marie Lamoureux | marie.lamoureux@quartierdesspectacles.com | 514 923-6772