Archives des festival accès asie - Festival Accès Asie

‘Imagination is a factory where hope is manufactured. If the counternarrative to violence is care, then that’s where you will find me’ Sundus Abdul Hadi.

As the 28th program of the Festival Accès Asie (FAA) is unveiled, I pay tribute to my predecessor Khosro Berahmandi, the architect of this vibrant line up and the recipient of the Charles Biddle Prize in 2022 for his contribution to Quebec’s cultural and artistic development. Khosro has been carefully weaving interconnections within the arts ecosystem and valuing the voices of artists from the Asian diaspora.

This edition emphasizes collaborations between artists from various fields, from different regions of Asia, from different Canadian provinces, as well as projects involving emerging artists and established artists… These collaborations underscore the relations of care and hospitality patiently cultivated by Asian artists within society.

One of the challenges of the FAA is to build a unifying space where artists from diverse Asian diaspora communities can exchange, build solidarity, create together, and reach out to their audiences. We rise to the challenge with this year’s program, which takes place on unceded Indigenous territory, of which the Kanien’kehá:ka nation is the guardian and protector. We are grateful to live in Tiohtiá:ke – which means “where the currents meet” in the Kanien’kehá:ka language – also called Mooniyang – “hollow place” in Anishinaabemowin. We are thankful for the opportunity to highlight, on this territory, the vitality and effervescence of Asian diaspora artists’ practices, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to Japan and the Philippines, from Kazakhstan to India.

Hand in hand with Festival Accès Asie’s board of directors and team, I wish you a beautiful Asian Heritage Month!

Nayla Naoufal – Artistic Director of Festival Accès Asie

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March 20 to 25 – Let’s Confront Racism Together!

March 3 2023

For the second year in a row, Festival Accès Asie is committed to taking part in the fight against systemic racism.

We are therefore developing our anti-racist component through the arts in March 2023, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Semaine d’actions contre le racisme au Québec.

For this second edition, Festival Accès Asie is organizing four activities that delve on the racism experienced by racialized and indigenous artists throughout their careers.
The activities proposed during 2nd edition will take place from Monday, March 20 to Saturday, March 25, 2023, including an evening of screening and discussion dedicated to racialized filmmakers whose work address racism,

📌 A screening of 4 short films followed by a discussion with the filmmakers around their questioning of identity,

📌A screening of indigenous short movies that draw on the links among identities and lands,

📌 A conversation among asian artists on the role played by stories in reclaiming Chinatowns,

📌 A concert and a party that celebrates the solidarity among artistic communities and the people involved in interconnected antiracist struggles.

Find the entire program here ➡️ Event for Let’s confront racism together !

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Fleur de lys, fleur de thé is coming to Saguenay!

July 26 2022

Fleur de lys, fleur de thé is back! This year, we bring the regional component of Festival Accès Asie to Saguenay to present seven activities and shows for the whole family! The Festival team, accompanied by 10 exceptional Asian artists, will be at the Centre des arts et de la culture of Chicoutimi from August 11th to 14th to present the best of our programming to the Saguenay public! As you know, Fleur de lys, fleur de thé offers the opportunity to artists of Asian origin, whose activities are mostly based in the metropolis, to present their works and their artistic disciplines regionally, and allows a cultural sharing with the public and the artists of a particular region of Quebec. This component is an essential part of our mission as an organization, as it allows us to present our work to an audience that would not otherwise be exposed to Asian arts, to build relationships across the province, and to increase understanding of our communities in order to combat stereotypes through exposure and dialogue. We hope to see you there in large numbers; all the activities of this edition are free and suitable for an audience of all ages! Discover our program in detail here. See you soon, Chicoutimi!

Program Summary

Thursday, August 11, 2022

5 P.M. – OPENING OF VOMITING FLOWERS | Multimedia art installation

7:30 P.M. – BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES | Movie screening

Friday, August 12, 2022

7:30 P.M. – DOUBLE TIGERS | Contemporary dance

Saturday, August 13, 2022

2 P.M. – SHADOW THEATRE WORKSHOP | Workshop for kids

7:30 P.M. – PERSIAN-ARABIC RITE | Persian music concert

Sunday, August 14, 2022

2 P.M. – APPROCHEZ, JE VOUS RACONTERAI CE QUE J’AI OUBLIÉ | Immersive new media performance

4:30 P.M. – CULTURAL MEDIATION | Round table with featured artists

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Khosro Berahmandi is retiring as Artistic Director

June 30 2022

As some of you already know, our dear Khosro Berahmandi will be retiring as Artistic Director of Festival Accès Asie in January after more than 25 years of service! He intends to take this opportunity to work on his personal artistic projects and enjoy some well-deserved rest. We are sad to see him go, but the Festival is a big family, and we are sure to see him again very soon in visual arts exhibitions across Montreal! We will not soon forget Khosro’s incredible contribution to Montreal’s cultural landscape, his significant addition to the artistic representation of the entire continent of Asia, and of course, his memorable hair and inimitable style! Thank you so much for your wonderful work and your contagious energy dear Khosro! Happy retirement, you’re cool like cucumber!

Of course, if Khosro retires, this means that his position is vacant! We are therefore looking for a dynamic person to fill the role of Artistic Director! We are searching for someone who ideally has experience in multidisciplinary programming in the Montreal cultural scene and who has an expert knowledge of Asian arts and cultures. The position will start on November 14th for transferring knowledge before Khosro’s official departure in January 2023. All details on our Career page!

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Thank you for more than 4,000 spectators!

June 20 2022

Another edition of Festival Accès Asie has come to an end! In total, 4097 of you attended this year’s events! This edition was fraught with difficulties due to the current sanitary circumstances, but all in all, the team is very satisfied with the festival’s in-person return after two years of virtual programming.

We would like to thank the wonderful artists in our program, all of our collaborators and our loyal audience for their unwavering support! Thank you all for participating, and we’ll see you next year for a new edition more vibrant than ever!

Our stats for this 27th edition:

20 events,
13 Montreal venues,
More than 70 artists,
…And more than 4,000 spectators! 🎉

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Launching of our 2022 program!

April 4 2022

You’ve all been waiting for it: our 2022 program has finally been revealed! Discover below the 19 events that will make up our 27th edition. This year, we will finally be able to meet in person after two years of online shows, and celebrate Asian Heritage Month together in different Montreal venues. All the details of the events can be found on our Program page.

May 5 at 5 p.m | Opening cocktail | Conseil des arts de Montréal (Free) [FR/EN]
From May 5 to May 29 | Origami Workshop | Online (Free) / Workshop for kids [FR]
May 6 at 8 p.m. | From Tokyo to Montréal | Gesù ($10) / Cinema [EN]
From May 7 to May 29 | Asian Horror & Cynicism | Maison de la culture Janine-Sutto (Free) / Visual Arts [FR/EN] [Opening on May 7 at 2 p.m. Round table on May 8 at 2 p.m.]
From May 11 to June 12 | Terre Fertile | Maison de la culture de Côte-des-Neiges (Free) / Visual Arts [FR/EN] [Opening on May 11 at 5 p.m.]
May 12 at 8 p.m. | Pendulum in the Mirror | Jeunesses Musicales du Canada ($20) / Music [FR/EN]
May 13 at 8 p.m. | Fireworks Play Readings – Never Walk Alone | Gesù ($10) / Theatre [EN]
May 14 at 2 p.m. | Water and Dreams | OBORO (Free) / New media [FR/EN]
May 14 at 8 p.m.| Fireworks Play Readings – Lady Sunrise | Gesù ($10) / Theatre [EN]
May 14 at 8 p.m. | Mystic Music from Pakistan | Auditorium of the Grande Bibliothèque BAnQ ($30) / Music [FR/EN]
May 15 at 2 p.m. | Delight your taste buds: Mongolian cuisine | Om Restaurant ($20) / Culinary Mediation [FR]
May 19 and May 20 at 8 p.m. | PANJ | MAI ($20) / Multidisciplinary [EN]
May 20 at 9 p.m. | Blue Move$ with Transpacific Express | Centre Phi ($20) / Music [FR/EN]
May 21 starting at 8 a.m. (available for 24 hours) | The Path of Dreams | Online (Free) / Theatre [FR]
May 22 at 9 p.m. | Suoni Per Il Popolo visits Festival Accès Asie | Sala Rossa ($10) / Music [FR/EN]
May 26 at 7:30 p.m. | Od-Sor & Double Tigers | Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique de Montréal ($25) / Dance [FR/EN]
May 27 at 7:30 p.m. | Unexpected Path | Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique de Montréal ($25) / Dance [FR/EN]
May 28 at 8 p.m. (EST) | On the Move: National Asian Heritage Celebration | Online (Free) / Multidisciplinary [FR/EN]
May 29 at 2 p.m. | Closing show | Lahaie Park (Free) / Dance, Music & Workshop [FR/EN]

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Let’s confront racism together!

March 2 2022

On March 21 and 22 at the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels), Festival Accès Asie invites you to two days of activities focused on the fight against racism and the sharing of individual stories and experiences of racialized people.

In response to the rise of intolerance and racism in recent years, Festival Accès Asie is determined to make a concrete commitment to the fight against discrimination by creating an anti-racism component to complement its regular programming. As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Semaine d’actions contre le racisme et pour l’égalité des chances in Quebec, we invite you to take part in “Let’s confront racism together!”, our two-day event focused on sharing and raising awareness about the experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) communities, including systemic racism issues. For this first edition of its anti-racism component, the Festival is partnering with the Super Boat People Collective to present three round tables as well as a closing musical performance. The activities’ schedule can be found below.

Monday, March 21, 2022

5 P.M.: Round Table — The Importance of Individual Stories and Narratives in the Fight Against Discrimination
7 P.M.: Round Table — Anti-Asian Racism and the Pandemic: An Assessment

Tuesday, March 22, 2022

5 P.M.: Round Table — Systemic Racism in Quebec
7 P.M.: Musical Performance by Melissa Girvan

For a full description of the activities and to find out who will be participating in the round tables, see our event webpage or our press release.

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