On the corner of St Laurent and des Pins lies a tall yet unassuming building that you might recognise from the bold lettering that spells out “HALBRO BLDG.” For the past few decades, its lofts have served as a sort of haven for artists looking to rent studios or find a place to stay.

Mona Maarabani knows what she’s doing. She’s used to surprising people when she walks into a room for the first time, confident and ready to take on any challenge sent her way. “Being able to say that about myself right when I was starting out… It was very much a realisation of, ‘oh, I can literally do anything,’” she tells me.

Thankfully, Forget The Box doesn’t follow suit. No, here at Forget The Box, you’ll get the nitty-gritty of arts journalism laid out for all to see. Instead of Santa, we’ve got Creative Director Andrew Jamieson, and playing the trope of Mrs. Claus is our very own Dawn McSweeney, Editor-at-Large.

It’s an undisputed fact that the Harlem Renaissance had a profound impact on the world. This movement gave us great music, literature and painters. It also gave us playwrights like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. However, these were American playwrights.

Combining his love for making people discover movies and his desire to establish a recurring project where a community could be built, Jeremie launched QCCMTL in May 2024, giving Montreal queers and film lovers the chance to experience a piece of queer film history in theatres once a month.

Before I even stepped into Barfly, I was greeted by the crowd spilling out into the streets of St. Laurent. I walk past the vivid, brightly painted fly mural on a weekly basis, and I have to say I was more than a little thrilled to finally peek behind the curtain and enter the iconic bar.

Folded between fingertips and passed under tables, this silent mode of communication can make a big impact. Zines, small collaged publications packed with message and creativity, are a place for true, grassroots expression.

Squat The City! How to Use the Arts for Housing Injustice by Norman Nawrocki is not a book that can be easily categorized. It’s not just a how-to book where each chapter outlines step-by-step instructions.

With the rise of streaming services trading the security of physical media for the convenience of instant access, preservation has become a hot topic. Everyone is feeling regret for not hoarding things like tickets or CDs. Thankfully, organizations like ARCMTL exist.

Tucked upstairs on the ever-touristy St. Paul Street in Old Montreal, is one of the safest comedy rooms in town. Well, sort of. On the surface, Saanya Nanda’s monthly The Heckling Show would be the last thing most people would call safe; the name says it all, and every month comics take the stage knowing exactly what they're in for.