Festival TransAmériques (FTA) artistic and general director Marie-Hélène Falcon is stepping down from her position. It was announced on Monday that Falcon would not leave immediately. She will continue in her role to oversee the next edition of the FTA, scheduled from May 22nd to June 7th, 2014.
In a press release, Falcon stated: “After thirty marvellous and passionate years at the FTA, the time has come for me to hand over the reins of the Festival to another generation, to other approaches, to other imaginations. I am proud of having contributed in my own fashion to developing and raising the profile of cultural life in Montreal over the past three decades, and of having maintained a vibrant artistic dialogue between open, curious and demanding artists and audiences. The current Festival team is extremely competent, dedicated, committed and ready to assist the future artistic director in pursuing new dreams and other fantastic ambitions.”
Paul Leduc, chair of the FTA board of directors, offered this assessment of Falcon’s contribution to the cultural life of Montréal over the last three decades: “Since the first edition in 1985 (of what was then known as the Festival de théâtre des Amériques) until today, Marie-Hélène Falcon has personified the soul of the FTA. Her spirit, her audacity, her influence and her boundless desire to venture off the beaten path will no doubt leave a great vacuum on the local and international artistic scene. I would like to thank her for the unique vision she has pursued, and to express my complete admiration and respect.”
The Festival board of directors now has the task of finding a successor to Falcon, who, as Leduc stated, “helped position the Festival TransAmériques as one of the world’s most renowned theatre and dance events.” The festival saw a ninety-one- per-cent attendance rate in 2013. Also earlier this year the FTA received the Montréal Arts Council’s Grand Prix. The person hired will assume responsibilities for organizing and designing the festival program for the 2015 season.
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