Spring in the Quartier des Spectacles: Discoveries, springtime pleasures, games and digital art

Montreal, April 5, 2023 – This spring, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership invites Montrealers and visitors to come out and play, making the most of beautiful spring weather in the Quartier des Spectacles. From April 6 to the start of summer festival season in June, visitors of all ages will have a host of free activities to choose from – there’s something for every taste. Fun installations, live music, roller skating demonstrations, literary discoveries and original video projections: the Quartier des Spectacles is the perfect place to enjoy the pleasures of spring and get your fill of culture in the open air!

Let’s play!

Ville Orchestre
April 6 to May 28, 2023
Promenade des Artistes

This colourful, interactive musical installation by Robocut Studio, Dpt. and Vallée Duhamel invites passersby to become impromptu musicians. Using their feet, hands and voices – like a legendary one-man band – members of the public make Ville orchestre’s four stations play beautiful music.

Giant chess and Scrabble
May 3 to 28, 2023
Esplanade Tranquille

With these giant games, players of all ages can learn from experienced strategists or build their vocabulary while getting some fresh air. Challenge a friend – or a friendly stranger!

Remember also that the Ludothèque in the Esplanade Tranquille pavilion is open to all until May 3 with a host of games available for free.

Spring on wheels

Introduction to roller skating with Lowlife
May 13 and 14
Esplanade Tranquille

Visitors are invited to get to know this relatively uncommon sport with the staff of the Lowlife skate shop, who will help beginners get rolling. Their experts will teach introductory techniques, and the required equipment* will be loaned for free.

_{*Limited quantities. Participants are encouraged to bring their own protective gear.}

Roller skating show
May 13
Esplanade Tranquille

An amazing artistic performance on roller skates, featuring Annie-Kim Déry and Jérémy Vitupier. The duo will wow the audience, taking them back in time to the festive golden age of roller skating – the glitzy heyday of disco.

Roller derby demonstration with the Montréal Roller Derby League (MTLRD)
May 14
Esplanade Tranquille

Founded in 2006 by the force of nature that is Georgia W. Tush, the MTLRD has become the Canadian leader with three local teams, a B team (Les Sexpos de Montréal) and an A team (Les New Skids on The Block). On Esplanade Tranquille, the A and B teams will play an open-air friendly in MTLRD’s trademark spirit of inclusive competition.

Springtime discoveries and pleasures

Live music
May 3 to 27
Sainte-Catherine St. West, Esplanade Tranquille, the Place des Arts steps and parterre

This spring, the Quartier des Spectacles will groove to some great live music. The program includes brass bands, gospel, percussion and swing!

MEM citizen bicycles
May 10, 12 and 14
Esplanade Tranquille

What can we expect from the new museum that’s opening in the Quartier des Spectacles this year? Riding their red bikes, the team from the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises will greet the public with a mystery box that’s sure to pique their curiosity, evoke some great memories and give them a preview of the new museum.

Exhibition: Bédélys 2023 finalists
All month of May
Grand Salon of the Esplanade Tranquille pavilion

As part of Mai : mois de la BD (May: comic book month), the Festival BD de Montréal (FBDM) presents an exhibition featuring the finalists for the 24^th edition of the Bédélys awards, honouring the best comic books published in 2022 with awards in six categories reflecting the current diversity and quality of the art form. Fans will have the pleasure of discovering the finalist works and their creators and enjoy a reading in the Grand Salon.

Exhibition: Henri Tranquille et sa Librairie Tranquille
Any time
Esplanade Tranquille

At La petite librairie (mini bookstore), the exhibition Henri Tranquille et sa librairie Tranquille educates visitors about the Librairie Tranquille bookshop and its owner through a series of panels featuring reproductions of archival documents, photographs and unpublished writings. Let's mention that literature lovers can always find great finds at Petite librairie.

Immersion in digital art

Gravel @ le Wilder
Until April 14
Façade of the Wilder Building – Espace Danse

This photo essay comprises more than 2000 animated images captured over three years of dialogue between choreographer Frédérick Gravel and photographer Jean-Christophe Yacono (yako). The film is both a documentary and a work of art, capturing the choreographer’s fascinating studio research.

The secret life of monsters
April 17 to 30
Walls outside Saint-Laurent metro station

This one-of-a-kind immersive work, created by Wallrus, includes elements of video games, texture mapping and augmented reality. Families will discover a parallel universe that’s home to mysterious monsters, and a quantum machine called the Monstroscope will allow them to communicate with the Kyfo, a strange but likeable monster!

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is 20 years old! 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

PHOTOS 

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MEDIA CONTACT  

Mélanie Mingotaud
Communications Mingotwo  
melanie@mingo2.ca  
514 582-5272   

SOURCE

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Chloé Goldstein
chloe.goldstein@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 812‑2193