Tashi Farmilo

Artists and cultural workers in the Outaouais region, grappling with growing financial pressures, came together on February 29 at Le Minotaure for an evening of solidarity and mobilization. Organized by Culture Outaouais, the event united nearly fifty participants to confront the escalating funding crisis threatening Quebec’s cultural sector.

Under the theme, Solidarité culturelle – Ensemble face à la crise, the evening provided a platform for open discussion, where attendees voiced concerns over budget cuts, institutional closures, and broader instability in the arts sector. Representatives from Culture Outaouais outlined the current nationwide demands for increased cultural funding and positioned the Outaouais region within this broader movement.

“This event was meant as a space for connection and solidarity,” said Clara Lagacé, co-president of Culture Outaouais. “We hope it marks the beginning of a collective mobilization in Outaouais.”

The gathering echoed the recent advocacy efforts of the Front commun pour les arts, which is calling for a $200-million increase in funding for the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) in the next fiscal year. Many attendees expressed concerns that without urgent intervention, underfunding could jeopardize artistic practice in both the short and long term.