PROJECT CONCEPT AND NATURE OF ACTIVITIES / HISTORY
The Carnaval des Couleurs de Montréal, a major annual event launched by the BBCM Foundation in 2018 (in addition to the Black & Blue Festival which has existed since 1991), aims to gather and celebrate, every Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, the various multicultural, multi-ethnic and LGBTQ+ communities of the metropolis, through the free presentation of several artistic disciplines, in a spirit of inclusive collaboration, and easily accessible to residents of Ville-Marie and downtown Montreal, citizens of Montreal, day trippers and tourists. This entire project can be seen at the same time as a good cause: to help the fight against racism and the fight against homophobia.
NEW EXTERIOR COMPONENT at the QUARTIER DES SPECTALES (Montreal’s main entertainment district) on Ste-Catherine Street between Jeanne-Mance and St-Urbain streets, as a novelty for the Carnaval des Couleurs in October 2022, and in collaboration with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the City of Montreal:
• Major sound stage on Ste-Catherine Street with musicians, singers, multicultural music DJs, musical entertainment, special effects and others. Also with a dedicated area for a bar service, VIP section and kiosks/booths.
• A NON-STOP CONCEPT : Live shows on Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday afternoon and evening.
• Simultaneously, mostly impromptu entertainment will take place in the perimeter. On the program: street entertainers, giant puppets, troubadours, multicultural dancers, clowns, circus artists, etc.
INTERIOR COMPONENT AT COMPLEXE DESJARDINS. Main activities:
• VIP launch party on Friday evening with artistic performances.
• Major stage including Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings featuring:
– Multicultural dance and other live artistic performances
– Various performances, circus, etc.
• Processions / animations – ‘street’ entertainers, and others.
• Community booths, various promotional booths.
• Conference on the fight against racism and against homophobia over two days (Saturday and Sunday).
CARNAVAL EN MOUVEMENT / ARTISTIC PROCESSION SATURDAY NIGHT OUTDOORS ON STE-CATHERINE STREET, STARTING IN THE QUARTER DES SPECTACLES AND ENDING IN THE GAY VILLAGE:
Le Carnaval en Mouvement is a ‘unifying happening’, a celebration of our cosmopolitan values of inclusion and respect for differences, through street presentations/entertainment of troupes, costumed dancers, giant puppets, acrobats, entertainers drums & brass bands, bagpipes, and many other artists from multicultural and LGBTQ+ communities, among others, all brought together and organized in a professional way by the talented team of the BBCM Foundation. The idea is to start this ambulatory show on Ste-Catherine Street at the corner of St-Hubert (West limit of the gay Village). Thereafter, the plan is to continue the procession on Ste-Catherine Street eastwards in the Gay Village to Papineau Street (pedestrian from St-Hubert), to really make it a MAJOR event. This is not a continuous ‘traditional parade’. The various artists and troupes will be able to stop within particular blocks of streets to perform, and then move to other blocks to repeat the performances. Please note that members of the public and non-artistic community groups cannot ‘walk’ in the procession as such. It is indeed a truly colorful and professional spectacle!