Another tour de force for Festival TransAmériques, A Rejuvenated, Diverse and Delighted Audience

Montreal, 14 june 2010 - After 17 exciting days of contemporary dance and theatre from all over the world, the fourth edition of Festival TransAmériques came to an end on Saturday, leaving behind a felicitous ambiance of strong emotions, acute sensations and salutary shocks provoked by the 25 shows bearing witness to our era, presented by committed artists: writers, directors and choreographers who constantly rejuvenate their respective disciplines, and indeed often contravene established practice. Posting an attendance rate of 87%, with more than half of the performances sold out, once again the FTA attracted a diverse audience and reaffirmed the essential role it plays in Montreal's cultural scene, presenting sensational, dissident and stimulating discourse in the form of exciting performances, and attracting spectators of all generations.

Facts & Figures. From May 27 to June 12, Montreal vibrated to the pulsations of the fourth Festival TransAmériques, under the guidance of general and artistic director Marie-Hélène Falcon, showcasing works in a dozen theatres and unusual urban performance sites. The 25 pieces were presented by some 420 artists hailing from 17 cities in a dozen countries on four different continents. Also on hand were five films, a photo exhibit (viewed by 300,000 people in the Grand Foyer culturel at Place des Arts) and a host of encounters between artists and audience attended by nearly 28,000 festivalgoers, many of whom came from outside Montreal and Quebec.

Lively Adventures. The opening performance of Nearly 90², brilliantly delivered by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, was a clear illustration of the rich choreography of an absolute master of contemporary dance in his final work, an exclusive Canadian presentation. It was followed by two great theatrical frescos that provided a powerful shock wave to FTA audiences: Tragédies romaines, the magnificent and scathing piece directed by Ivo van Hove, clearly in top form, and Le sang des promesses, the fabulous epic by the immensely talented Wajdi Mouawad.

Also of note was the trenchant presence of the African choreographers, dancers and musicians behind More more more… future, by the Congolese artist Faustin Linyekula, as well as the very moving Poussières de sang by the Burkina Faso choreographers Seydou Boro and Salia Sanou.

The Festival was a unifying force again this year, featuring artists at the start of their careers along with seasoned veterans, all equal in terms of originality. Jérémie Niel, James Long and Maiko Bae Yamamoto from Vancouver, and Luisa Pardo and Gabino Rodríguez from Mexico rubbed shoulders with Claude Poissant, Philippe Quesne from Paris, Roger Bernat from Barcelona, Alvis Hermanis from Riga and Wajdi Mouawad, while Frédérick Gravel, Tânia Carvalho from Lisbon and Tammy Forsythe shared the limelight with Ginette Laurin, Louise Lecavalier and Saburo Teshigawara from Tokyo.

Active Spectators in the Heart of the City. More than ever, Festival TransAmériques explored new nooks and crannies of Montreal's public space (Place Pasteur, Place Émilie Gamelin and the Villeray-St.-Michel-Park Extension neighbourhood) and renewed dialogue with its audience thanks to the bold approach of artists who push the limits of the conventions and traditions of the performing arts. Many pieces, each in its own way and addressing one or hundreds of spectators at a time, upended audience expectations by giving the spectator a very active role in the performance, as was the case with Tu vois ce que je veux dire ?, Domaine public, Tragédies romaines, Ciels and, of course, Très grand continental, which galvanized the crowds and the 127 dancers performing under the stars… and (for two performances) in the rain! By inviting audiences to take part in experiences that were at times very moving, this edition of the FTA left a lasting impression on the imaginations of festival participants.

Audience Outreach. A lively public forum and a locus for debate and reflection, the Festival TransAmériques has maintained its tradition of stimulating encounters between artists and audience. More than 2000 people - a Festival record - attended the 19 post-performance get-togethers and the 8 conferences that were held in the Quartier général, located in UQAM's Agora du Cœur des sciences, which was also a popular evening party site! The Festival also welcomed some 150 adolescents from several high schools across Quebec as part of its Student Outreach program. In addition, 20 young professional artists from 8 different countries debated issues of artistic creation, stimulated by the works they had seen at the Festival. By actively pursuing audience outreach activities such as these, the Festival can take pride in counting on a loyal public ready to follow it down artistic paths that are as demanding as they are audacious. Our sincere thanks to our appreciative festivalgoers.

The FTA, A Producing Partner. Since its inception, Festival TransAmériques has placed a strong vote of confidence in local artists, both veterans and the up-and-coming, by becoming a producing partner for the presentation of their works. Pursuing its commitment to developing contemporary dance and theatre, and assuming a leadership role in the creation of artistic adventures that some would deem risky, the FTA co-produced eight shows, presenting the world premières of five of them: Onde de choc, Cendres, The Dragonfly of Chicoutimi, Tout se pète la gueule, chérie and Golpe.

True to form, Festival TransAmériques attracted more than one hundred arts professionals from here and abroad - presenters, festival directors, programmers, talent agents, journalists - representing sixteen countries. It thus makes a strong contribution to the promotion of Quebec and Canadian culture in other countries.

This year the Festival had an operating budget of $3.3 million. It benefited from increased support from the City of Montréal and special funding from the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec.

Following the success of Une journée pour Haïti, a solidarity event that concluded the Festival, the FTA, in collaboration with Usine C and the Admission ticketing network, will be presenting the Centre d'étude et de coopération internationale with a cheque for $4,220 to be used to provide aid to the people of Haiti.

Fifth Edition of the Festival TransAmériques. Next year Montreal will once again be rocked by the fifth edition of Festival TransAmériques, which will take place from May 26 to June 11, 2011.

In the meantime, many of the pieces created in co-productions with the FTA during this edition will be presented to Montreal audiences during the course of the 2010-2011 season: Onde de choc and Children + A Few Minutes of Lock at Usine C, Cendres and Tout se pète la gueule, chérie at La Chapelle, The Dragonfly of Chicoutimi at Théâtre Espace Go. And keep in mind that some of these co-productions will also go on international tours!

The Festival TransAmériques wishes to thank the following for their generous support:

Our Public Partners: Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire, Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, Department of Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts de Montréal, Service du développement culturel, de la qualité du milieu de vie et de la diversité ethnoculturelle de la Ville de Montréal, the Villeray-St. Michel-Park Extension neighbourhood - Our Major Partners: Hyatt Regency Montréal, Tourisme Montréal - Our Media Partner: La Presse - Our Associate Partners: Cœur des sciences / UQAM, Cinémathèque québécoise, Place des Arts, Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec, Théâtre français at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec, Partenariat du Quartier des spectacles - Our Foreign Partners: Culturesfrance, Consulate General of France in Quebec City, NFPK+ Royal Netherlands Embassy, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Institut Ramon Llull, Goethe Institute of Montreal - Our Sponsors: Bières Boréale, National Bank, Hydro-Québec, Caisse de la Culture, Admission network.