Call for applications OFFTA 2022
A unique artistic and unifying event created on the fringe of the Festival TransAmériques, the OFFTA offers every year a pluridisciplinary programming focused on contemporary creation and the crossing of live art.
OFFTA’s identity is based on an artistic direction that encourages strong initiatives, emerging practices and experimentation. For the past fourteen years, its team has explored the scenes of theatre, dance, performance, circus and other disciplines, looking for artists whose works transcend our daily lives and change our view of the world. Artists who, through their practices, question, transform and resist in their own way the ongoing uniformity. Neither seeking consensus nor speaking with a single voice, they are united in their plurality and contribute, in their own way, to the renewal of established models.
In order to develop the programming of the festival’s 16th edition which will be held in late May/early June 2022, the OFFTA team is currently seeking proposals. More than ever, the call is open to all forms: “slightly crazy projects that do not fit anywhere”, completed shows, revivals, first stages of creation, laboratories, short forms, in situ indoor or outdoor performances, from a distance, online, conferences, etc.
* OFFTA presents projects from Québec and Canada only.
Deadline : Tuesday November 2nd 2021, 11:59 pm
MODALITIES
– Only one project per submission (no double bill)
– The form has to be completed by November 2nd, 2021, at 11:59pm
– Only complete applications will be accepted
– Only applications from Quebec or Canadian artists and companies will be accepted
– The festival’s direction and artistic committee reserve the right not to comment their decisions
– The decision regarding your application will be communicated by the end of January 2022
– An amount of 20$ (tax included) is charged for each project application, for the administrative fees related to the platform.
Grants
Thanks to the support of its partners and patrons, the OFFTA can offer grants to the festival’s standout artists or collectives. These will be awarded to creators who have contributed to the vitality of the Montreal and Quebec live art scene. Recipients will be announced at the end of the festival.
Audacity Grant – Caisse Desjardins de la Culture
Awarded to an individual artist or group for audacious practices fostering new perspectives. Recipient will be selected by the OFFTA’s artistic committee.
Created 25 years ago by and for the cultural sector, Caisse Desjardins de la Culture helps artists, artisans, creators and the self-employed to realize their projects, whether personal or professional.
Le Répondant / Marion Lessard
For a telephone maze that is both playful and philosophical, the Audacity Grant is awarded to Le Répondant by Marion Lessard. This ingenious polyphonic proposal allowed festivalgoers to lose themselves, find themselves and find advice, through a device that appears robotic but, in the end, is very humane.
Hybridity Grant – Mois Multi – Festival international d’arts multidisciplinaires et électroniques Awarded to an individual artist or group who strongly stands out through a practice successfully merging languages, materials, techniques, forms or artistic processes of various kinds. The grant is awarded by a committee of the Recto-Verso team, producer of the Mois Multi festival.
Comment j’ai guéri à l’aide de PowerPoint / Amélie Dallaire
For a project that reveals, with skillful simplicity and endearing humour, profound and touching elements of life, the Hybridity Grant goes to Comment j’ai guéri à l’aide de PowerPoint by Amélie Dallaire. This diversion of the software’s initial function revealed its frailties, only accessible through this human encounter.
Committee’s special mention from LA SERRE – arts vivants
The artist or group chosen will receive a residency at the Ateliers de LA SERRE – arts vivants in 2020–2021. Recipient will be selected by LA SERRE – arts vivants’ team.
Ville Lumière. Noir / JJ Houle
For a performance addressing a troubling subject, yet approached with finesse and sensitivity, the Coup de coeur is awarded to Ville Lumière. Noir by JJ Houle. A sincere and courageous testimony, interpreted with strength and gentleness: a voice, a look and a state of presence that will not be forgotten soon.
About
Annual artistic event created on the edge of the Festival TransAmériques (FTA), the OFFTA is a festival dedicated to avant-garde creation in live art. It aims to scout, throughout the year, the local artistic landscape in order to put forward creators whose practice leads new trends in theatre, dance and performance. The OFFTA bases its identity on an artistic direction that encourages strong and singular approaches, emerging practices and experimentation.
Following the disappearance of the Festival international de nouvelle danse (FIND) and the Nouvelle Scène section of the Festival de Théâtre des Amériques1, a large part of the artistic community was left without a platform; the idea of the OFFTA consequently emerged.
It is with vision and determination that five young theatre artists (Jasmine Catudal, Stephanie Capistran-Lalonde, Johanne Haberlin, Emmanuelle Kirouac-Sanche and Jacques Laroche) organized the first edition. From May 23rd to June 7th, 2007, seven plays were presented in five different venues. The various acts of support from the community and the numerous positive reactions proved the importance of an “OFF” in the cultural landscape of Montreal.
The following year and for subsequent editions, the festival’s artistic committee became pluridisciplinary by integrating members from the fields of dance, visual arts and contemporary practices. With the numerous project proposals and undeniable media support, the festival acquired a solid reputation among the public and the artistic community. The OFFTA rapidly became an essential showcase for the national and international exposure of local artists. An impressive number of renowned artists presented their work in the context of the festival, such as Mani Soleymanlou, Félix-Antoine Boutin, Philippe Boutin, Maxime Carbonneau, Sarah Berthiaume, L’eau du bain, Jacob Wren, Jacques Poulin-Denis, Adam Kinner, Mélanie Demers, Étienne Lepage, Frédérick Gravel, Nicolas Cantin, Emmanuel Schwartz, Sylvie Cotton, Production Porte-Parole and Nadège Grebmeier-Forget.
Again and again, the OFFTA aspires to decompartmentalise contemporary art practices along with their respective audiences. In keeping with its vision of disciplinary encounters, the OFFTA produces and presents hybrid events which challenge established live art practices and question modes of representation, as well as facilitate participation, dialogue and cooperation.
The OFFTA is a structuring platform for young Montreal artists that creates, produces and presents their work. The festival offers residencies of research and creation as well as dramaturgic support for several of the selected projects. It gives access to professional means of production and communications to all the artists of the program, and act as a first link between young artists and national and international presenters who are in Montreal at this time of year. With these levers, the OFFTA festival aims to amplify the strong voices of its generation.
