PODCAST
Grandeur et misère du centre d’artistes

Artist-run centres played a key role in the emergence of a new art scene and in the integration of contemporary art into Québec’s cultural landscape. Today, they make up a structured production and presentation network, the most extensive in Québec’s art ecosystem, with a presence in every region.

During the 1980s, however, artist-run centres had to adapt to the dictates of neoliberal policies, which profoundly changed both funding mechanisms and cultural policy orientations. These changes had repercussions on the full spectrum of support programs for cultural organizations, going so far as to alter artist-run centres’ original mission. Where does that leave the artist-run centre today?

Episode 1: De l’autogestion à la professionnalisation
27 min 54 s
Read the transcript [in French]

Episode 2: L’institutionnalisation
Available on all platforms on December 10, 2025

This podcast was made possible with the financial support of the program Connaissances en actions of Université du Québec à Montréal.