MTL Arts Accessibles 2025
A Community Celebration of Inclusion
On October 9th, MAI and Danse-Cité will present MTL Arts Accessibles, an evening crafted with care and purpose. Thursday marks the official relaunch of the accessible arts showcase, its second iteration in Québec after a successful night displaying the 2024-2025 season. Located in the heart of downtown Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyang / Montréal, Danse-Cité and MAI have come together to create an evening of artistic innovation and community designed for all.
Danse-Cité is a community highlighting contemporary dance and the artists that make it happen. It supports dancers in all aspects of their craft, accompanying them through their journeys, and promoting pieces accessible to all. Its partner in the project, MAI, is a distinct piece of the artistic community, defined as a presenter, a supporter, and a hub of evolving cultural and artistic dialogue. Developed by a local non-profit, MAI has a beautiful theatre, café-bar, and gallery, waiting to be explored. Together, MAI and Danse-Cité create a beautiful environment for those of all abilities to share their stories and be heard, all in one evening.
I had the opportunity to write to Maud Mazo-Rothenbühler of Danse-Cité, about what the event meant to them: “Claudia from MAI, and I from Danse-Cité, we want this evening to be a celebration and for people and artists who are living with visible or invisible disabilities to take the stage. Claudia and I recognise that with our two organisations, we have the platforms to allow these individuals to be seen.”*
As the doors to MTL Arts Accessibles swing open at 4:30 on Thursday, a host of beautifully crafted events will light up the venue. Throughout the evening, audiences can visit a gorgeous Sensory Glisk installation crafted by Greer Pester and Salima Punjani, explore over 15 kiosks showcasing community organizations, and access complimentary snacks and bar service. At 5:30, audiences can experience three artist stories through animation, in which Matthew Courtemanche, Roxane Charest-Landry, and Alexane Roy will share their successes and obstacles. After the animation, audiences can expect a range of performances from dance to visual arts and piano. They will feature talented artists such as Marie-Hélène Bellavance, Simon Renaud and Vytautas Bučionis, with a live audio description performed by Stéphanie Fromentin. The evening will give Montréal an opportunity to experience multidisciplinary art in a breathtaking venue, where artists living with disabilities take the stage.
The 2025-26 edition of MTL Arts Accessibles will be hosted by Alexane Roy, Roxane Charest-Landry, and Matthew Courtemanche.
The event is planned within accessible spaces and filled with available accommodations. There are four spaces to visit throughout the evening, including a quiet area if participants need a sensory break. Mazo-Rothenbühler described the purpose of the event to me, as it was created to “honour and promote audiences with diverse abilities (deaf, hard of hearing, blind, visually impaired, mobility impaired, and neurodivergent individuals) as well as the initiatives that the cultural community is implementing to welcome them.”**
These initiatives consist of interpreters for both ASL (American Sign Language) and LSQ (Langue des signes québécoise), sighted guides, and audio descriptions of live performances. Vibrotactile pillows will be available throughout the evening, allowing audience members to experience noise and sounds in the form of vibrations. Seating for all bodies, wheelchairs, noise cancelling earmuffs, and sensory objects are all available as well. The event takes a lot of organization and adaptation, Mazo-Rothenbühler shared with me, but that's what makes the night special.
Over 15 kiosks are littered throughout the venue, letting festivals, organizations, and programs like Festival International de Cinéma Adapté de Montréal (FICAM), and Les Filles Électriques, shine. MTL Arts Accessibles is not only a vital part of the artistic community, but an evening curated to showcase its multidisciplinality, beauty, and diversity, a community in itself.
The event receives community support from community groups and foundations, which can be explored on the event’s website. As MTL Arts Accessibles becomes an established event in Montréal's artistic space, its importance only continues to grow.
“To work so that the arts are accessible, is to work against the established systems, against the writings of a historical culture that excludes,” Mazo-Rothenbühler wrote, “its breaking down privileges, understanding barriers and reversing trends. To work for accessibility, it's to recognize and value a chain of people who work, it's to recognize the need for patience and all that is possible, one step at a time.”***
The night is not only a celebration of art but a step towards a positive, accessible world. A world that accommodates and understands the importance that comes from an inclusive cultural community. Spots are limited, but you can reserve your place for free now. This Thursday, MTL Arts Accessibles will fill MAI’s spaces with art, adorned with joy, creativity, and empowerment.
Please note Maud’s original thoughts were shared with ForgettheBox in french, and translated to English by ForgettheBox writers. The original quotes taken from the interview can be found below.
* “Claudia au MAI et moi à Danse-Cité, nous voulons que cette soirée soit une fête et que la parole soit prise par des personnes et artistes qui vivent avec des handicaps visibles ou invisibles. Claudia et moi reconnaissons qu'avec nos 2 institutions, nous avons des plateformes qui permettent de visibiliser les individus.”
** “MTL Arts Accessibles est un événement qui veut célébrer la rentrée culturelle autrement, qui veut mettre à l'honneur et valoriser les publics de la diversité capacitaires (personnes sourdes, malentendantes, aveugles, semi-voyantes, à mobilité réduite et neurodivergentes) ainsi que les initiatives que le milieu culturel met en place pour les accueillir : audiodescription de spectacles, représentations décontractées, interprètes LSQ - ASL etc.”
*** “Travailler pour que les arts soient accessibles, c'est travailler contre des systèmes établis, contre l'écriture d'une histoire culturelle qui exclut, c'est faire tomber des privilèges, comprendre les obstacles et renverser les tendances. Travailler pour l'accessibilité, c'est reconnaître et valoriser une chaîne des personnes qui œuvrent, c'est reconnaître la nécessité d'être patients et patientes et que tout est possible, une pierre à la fois.”
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