Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard

RIDEAU 2023: The most important francophone performing arts event in America

Story by Marie-Michèle Bouchard | Wednesday February 22nd, 2023

The 2023 edition of RIDEAU, the most important Francophone meeting of the performing arts in America, was held in Québec City from Feb. 12–16. SOCAN sponsored the stage at Théâtre du Petit-Champlain where three showcases were presented each night. 

A total of 12 artists each mounted that stage to present a 20-minute performance. The SOCAN stage welcomed Chloé Sainte-Marie, Scott-Pien Picard, Juste Robert, Alex Pic, Veranda, Marco Ema, Gentiane, OURS, Noé Lira, Shaina Hayes, Govrache, and Étienne Fletcher. You can view our photo gallery of those showcases here.

RIDEAU is not only a series of cultural showcases, but it also a meeting place for numerous players in the industry. On Monday, Feb. 13,  the Forum RIDEAU was held at the Québec City Convention Centre. The event included training, discussion panels, and conferences on the various issues related to performing arts. Accredited presenters were also able to meet with various record companies and entertainment agencies in order to complete their programming for the coming year, by participating in the Place du marché. 

The event culminated with the presentation of the Gala des Prix RIDEAU which was hosted by Marie-Soleil Dion and Louis-Olivier Mauffette. This award ceremony celebrates the presentation of performing arts, and recognizes the importance of the presenter’s trade. The complete list of winners is available here (French only).

Two panels at the Forum RIDEAU caught our attention: 

An exploration of Québec’s music consumption habits
Presented by Simon Claus, Director of Public Affairs and Research at ADISQ, this presentation provided a detailed portrait of the music consumption habits of Québec’s population. The data presented was based on the third edition of its MQF guide, from a large survey of 4,003 people, published in November of 2022. The data covers both consumption, and the various sources of musical discoveries, or live shows. For example, when do people listen to music, how is this listening done the most, online listening behaviours, and the preferred means of musical discovery of Quebecers ,by age group, and even the different profiles of show-goers. You can read the MQF guide here (French only).

Roundtable: Harassment and misconduct in the arts. What is my role?
Hosted by Sophie Hébert, esq., Director of Labour Relations at ADISQ, and David Laferrière, General and Artistic Director, Diffusion En Scène/Théâtre Gilles Vigneault and President of RIDEAU, this round able, co-presented by Rideau and ADISQ, tackled some difficult but necessary topics. Selected panelists — Catherine Rossi, researcher and victimologist at Laval University; Michel Séguin, professor at UQAM; and Johanne St-Gelais, lawyer and retired judge — opened up about the role we should play in addressing harassment and misconduct in the arts by answering several questions. What’s the role of the artist and of the venue operator in this social debate? How to avoid the most common pitfalls? What are the ethical issues related to the social responsibility of artists? Why has it become necessary to apply ethical principles in our professional activity? How to measure the unknown number of aggressions or other reprehensible acts, that disrupt professional and cultural life? What practices should be implemented to manage this type of situation? According to the panelists, as an organization or a company, the main solution would be to clearly define its values in order to orient its choices accordingly, and require the various stakeholders to commit to respecting these choices.

For more details on the 36th edition of RIDEAU, visit its website.
 

Photo by VilleDePluie

Video: Gabrielle Shonk presents Across The Room

Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday February 23rd, 2023

Five years have gone by since the release of Gabrielle Shonk’s first album. After more or less losing herself in the whirlwind that followed, the pause imposed by the pandemic allowed her to recharge her batteries, re-focus, explore new musical avenues, change record labels – she’s now with Arts & Crafts – and come up with a new musical version of herself for the world to enjoy. With Across The Room, she dispels the myth of the sophomore album by diversifying her musical influences, and telling her stories from an even more personal perspective. In this video, she tells us about creating Across The Room, an album of which she’s extremely proud, and that will undoubtedly gain her a wider audience.

Photo by courtesy/courtoisie. Clockwise from top left/dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, à partir du haut à gauche : Tyler Shaw, Dan Mangan, Adria Kain, The Reklaws, Damhnait Doyle, Wild Rivers

For 2023, SOCAN-presented JUNO Songwriters’ Circle pairs with Simu Liu interview

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday February 14th, 2023

For the first time ever, the JUNO Songwriters’ Circle, presented by SOCAN, has added Q with Tom Power: A conversation with Simu Liu to the festivities, scheduled for Sunday, March 12, at the Winspear Centre in Edmonton.

The  night kicks off at 7:00 p.m. MT with a live-on-stage interview taping for Tom Power’s CBC program Q, where he’ll get up close and personal with global star and 2022 and 2023 JUNO Awards Broadcast host Simu Liu.

CBC Music’s Damhnait Doyle, a former member of SOCAN’s Board of Directors, will then host the Songwriters’ Circle, featuring intimate conversations and stripped-down performances from 2023 Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year JUNO nominee Adria Kain; two-time JUNO Award winner and 2022 SOCAN Award winner Dan Mangan; celebrated country music duo The Reklaws, who were awarded a SOCAN No. 1 Song Award on Jan. 27, 2023; multi-Platinum-selling artist, producer, and actor Tyler Shaw; and breakthrough indie band Wild Rivers. More artists will be announced soon.

Presented by SOCAN and FACTOR, in association with Music Publishers Canada, the JUNO Songwriters’ Circle is considered “The Jewel of JUNO Week,” showcasing some of Canada’s most talented songwriters, performing their original songs, and sharing the stories behind them.

Tickets for the 2023 JUNO Songwriters’ Circle are on sale now. Proceeds from JUNO Songwriters’ Circle will benefit MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS, that works to keep music alive in schools and communities across Canada.