On May 22nd Agora de la Danse, a fixture in the Montréal dance community, announced its involvement in a twenty-five-million-dollar project, the Espace Danse Québec. Agora will soon become one of four participating organizations to house its offices and studios within the historic Wilder Building near the Place des Arts. The planned move-in date is sometime in the summer of 2015. Joining Agora will be Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Tangente and l’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal – uniting teaching, ballet, contemporary dance and creative research within one building. This exciting development in the Canadian cultural landscape is the first of its kind in Montréal and is expected to provide new collaborative opportunities across the national and international dance scene. Espace Danse Québec is ambitious in its vision and scope, aiming not only to strengthen dance as an art form by uniting dance organizations, but also to expand a larger cultural development project in the heart of Montréal, the Quartier des spectacles. Espace Danse Québec has already received thirteen million dollars in funding, with assistance from the government of Québec and other sources. The four organizations are currently engaged in a joint fundraising campaign, and are approaching the private sector for support, including TD Bank Group (which has already donated land). A project of this scale clearly illustrates the rich collaborative potential of Québec’s dance community and a high level of investment in Canada’s cultural legacy. If successful, it will reinforce Montréal’s reputation as a visionary and thriving cultural junction.
Learn more: agoradanse.com
Tagged: Contemporary, Finances & Funding, Uncategorized, Montréal , QC
