Montréal Pride Unveils Three Cultural Events for the 24th International AIDS Conference
Montréal, May 10, 2022 — The Montréal Pride Festival, presented by TD in collaboration with Casino de Montréal, announces, first, a choreographic work by Dave St-Pierre in close collaboration with ten performers-creators, and a collective of artists. Rapture, presented by Gilead, is an atypical contemporary dance work that will evoke societal hostility towards members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and people living with HIV/AIDS. Ten performances will take place from July 27 to August 6 at 7:00 p.m. at Le Monastère; tickets are on sale now at thepointofsale.com/tickets/rapture
A Tribute to the Millions of Victims
On the occasion of the 24th International AIDS Conference to be held July 29 to August 2, 2022, in Montréal, and as a prelude to the Montréal Pride Festival, Rapture will showcase ten performers on stage in a tribute to the millions of people who have tragically died of AIDS. The show will intertwine touching confessions of people who decided to continue to fight against serophobia and against HIV; a daily burden that, although arduous and complex and sometimes, unspeakably violent, requires unfailing resilience.
Rapture:
Artistic concept and choreographic guide: Dave St-Pierre; Performers-Creators: Stacey Désilier, Nicholas Bellefleur, Tony Bougiouris, Miranda Chan, Lael Stellick, Rony Joaquin Figueroa (Kuntiana), Emilio Brown, Vincent Reid, José Dupuis, and Mélusine Bonillo; Music Concept: Yann Villeneuve; Light Design: Jon Cleveland; Assistant-Guides: Marie-Eve Carrière and Alex Huot.
Duty of Remembrance
“In 1989, the 5th International AIDS Conference was held in Montréal. This event was marked by a social mobilization that, on the floor of the Palais des congrès, initiated a transformation of the relationship between medicine and society. The voices of patients could no longer be ignored by scientists,” said Simon Gamache, Executive Director of Pride Montréal. “Rapture, a work that blends commemoration, pain, and resilience, aims to remind us of the remarkable advances of the past 33 years. Dave St-Pierre and many talented artists are joining forces with Montréal Pride to present Conference delegates and Montréalers with events inspired by the pain of those affected, the mobilization of activists, and the dedication of researchers.”
Exhibition: Art, Activism and Resilience in the Village and Online
Still as part of the 24th International AIDS Conference, the Montréal Pride Festival is once again partnering with Gallea, Canada’s largest online art gallery, to present Art, Activism and Resilience, an exclusive collection of original works that will highlight visual artists of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities from around the world. It will be an inspiring and educational exhibition that aims to explore HIV and AIDS through the activism and resilience in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, as well as sexual health. Artists had until May 1, 2022, to submit their applications at gallea.ca. Visitors will be invited to discover 50 works in the online gallery on the same site, and 22 of these works will be physically displayed on outdoor panels in the Village in Montréal starting June 13 till September 1, 2022.
An Experimental Documentary at the PHI Center
Finally, the Montréal Pride Festival and the PHI Center present INVERSE/THE FUTURE IS OFTEN A STEP BEHIND, an experimental documentary exhibit in three tableaus by Nicolas Jenkins, which aims to question the prevailing assimilation of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities and on display at the PHI Center, from June 30 to August 28. Admission is free.
The documentary presents a multigenerational portrait of queer communities through the daily lives of participants in New York City. INVERSE/THE FUTURE IS OFTEN A STEP BEHIND highlights fluidity and change, both in terms of gender and sexuality and our understanding of them. This work by Nicolas Jenkins is also a reminder that we have not moved beyond racism, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, and the stigma of HIV and AIDS.
The 15th edition of the Montréal Pride Festival will take place from August 1 to 7, 2022 on the Esplanade of the Olympic Park, the main site, as well as in the Village and downtown. More information on the Festival’s program will be announced in the coming weeks.
Thanks to Our Partners
Montréal Pride expresses its sincere thanks to Gilead, presenter of Rapture, as well as its cultural partners Gallea, Le Monastère, and the PHI Centre for this programming in connection with the 24th International AIDS Conference.
The Montréal Pride Festival thanks its loyal partners: TD Bank Group, partner since 2008, the Casino de Montréal, the Government du Québec, the Ville de Montréal, the Government of Canada, Tourisme Montréal, Fido, the SAQ, Air Canada, the STM, Fugues, the Olympic Park, RÉMI and SDC Village Montréal.
About Montréal Pride
Since 2007, at the initiative of Montréal’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, the Fierté Montréal festival has been promoting their rights and celebrating their cultural richness and social progress. This largest gathering of people of sexual and gender diversity in the French-speaking world works locally on a daily basis and serves as a beacon of hope for people living in areas hostile to our communities.
Montréal Pride is based in Tiohtia:ke, on the unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. We recognize her as the custodian of the lands and waters on which we gather. Tiohtia:ke is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations, and today a diverse Aboriginal population, as well as other peoples, reside here. It is with respect for the connections to the past, present, and future that we recognize the ongoing relationships between Aboriginal Peoples and others in the Montréal community.
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Nathalie Roy
Consultant, Media Relations
nathalie.roy@bell.net
514 889-3622
