Programming

CONFLUENCES is an 8-week residency program, from August to September 2026, in Montreal's Sud-Ouest district. The call is open to professional artists (established and emerging) living outside the metropolitan area.

By setting up this residency program for 8 continuous weeks, DARE-DARE seeks to create a closer relationship between a professional artist and the neighborhoods of Saint-Henri and Little Burgundy and provides close accompaniment.

The South-West, where DARE-DARE has been based since 2015, is an underestimated cultural hub. Its human, socio-cultural, historical, and architectural richness is renowned and the artists who visit DARE-DARE highlight it each time through their research and their imposing, manifest or furtive artistic achievements. This residency project is therefore based on welcoming an artist into the world of DARE-DARE (the organization brings together more than a hundred artists, historians, and cultural workers) and that of the Sud-Ouest (the local population includes significant cultural and linguistic communities).

The Sud-Ouest, a hotbed of creation

The framework for the artist-in-residence's research is inspired by the geographical and human context of the Sud-Ouest neighborhoods, all of which are crossed by the Lachine Canal, whose enlargement played a key role in the development of Montreal as a major metropolis in the mid-19th century.

Thus, the Sud-Ouest borough is particularly inspiring to generate artistic projects on the notions of link, gathering, junction, union, and all artistic explorations based on the notions of crossroads and community. It is relevant to note that the Sud-Ouest has long been distinguished by a rich tradition of labour struggle, mutual aid, mobilization, and citizen dynamism. The many community organizations, community gardens, francization classes, homework groups and immigrant community integration services are all part of the quality of life and the democratic project of "living together" that animates DARE-DARE.

Indeed, the rich heritage and diversity that characterize the neighborhoods that border the Lachine Canal - or neighboring it - bear the traces of encounters between cultures (Irish in Pointe Saint-Charles, French-Canadian in Saint-Henri, Black Caribbean communities in Little Burgundy) and distinct economic profiles (now a mix of wealthy and disadvantaged residents). This rich context, exceptionally marked by these historical, cultural, and social CONFLUENCES, is particularly fertile for any artist who wishes to advance his or her practice and perfect his or her creation.

DARE-DARE aims to attract any artist interested in the approaches proposed by art in the public space from the Sud-Ouest territory, whether it be through the mode of intervention, through social relations or from geographical contexts, but mainly with the aim of initiating research inspired by the Borough itself. In all cases, the person must reside outside the metropolitan area, be sensitive to and challenged by themes related to the notions of circulation (of people, communities, ideas), modulation (of trends, instances, beliefs) and mutations (of functions, economies, languages).

Participatory projects that revolve around collective creative workshops and that call for partnerships with local community organizations are strongly encouraged.

DARE-DARE offers :

Expectations towards the artist:

• Make full use of the residency period offered for their research
• Be present for the entire residency period
• Offer two moments of public sharing in connection with the residency project or their artistic practice (lecture, workshop, performance or other concrete form).

Your proposal can include...

Send us your proposal in a form that suits you (text, visual or audio), paying attention to these five points:

• Voces Oníricas - Camila Vásquez (CONFLUENCES 2022)
• Voces Oníricas - Camila Vásquez (CONFLUENCES 2022)
• Family Stories: Drawn Narratives – Annabelle Brazeau (CONFLUENCES 2023)
• Family Stories: Drawn Narratives – Annabelle Brazeau (CONFLUENCES 2023)
• no date - Roberto Santaguida (CONFLUENCES 2024)
• no date - Roberto Santaguida (CONFLUENCES 2024)
• Maman et les masques de l'avant-nuit - Caroline Loncol Daigneault (CONFLUENCES 2025)
• Maman et les masques de l'avant-nuit - Caroline Loncol Daigneault (CONFLUENCES 2025)