Troubadours & Vagabonds Productions has received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts through its Official Language Minority Communities (OLMC) fund to undertake a new research and development project beginning in June 2026.

This project will explore opportunities and barriers for English-speaking artists touring in Quebec, while also examining the role of presenters in communities across the province who serve English-speaking audiences. It builds on earlier work in this area, including preliminary mapping we initiated in 2021 and a market access study developed in 2016 by the English Language Arts Network (ELAN).

Together, these efforts highlighted both the presence of English-language presenting activity across Quebec and the challenges artists face in accessing and navigating these networks. This new phase of work offers an opportunity to revisit and expand that understanding with updated data, broader outreach, and a more detailed look at how touring activity is currently taking shape across regions.

Why this work matters

While the majority of Quebecers speak French, there are historically anglophone communities throughout the province where arts and culture are vibrant and deeply rooted. These communities exist not only in Montreal, but across regions such as the Laurentians, Outaouais, Eastern Townships, Gaspé, and parts of the North Shore and Bas-Saint-Laurent.

In many of these places, arts presentation is driven by passionate individuals—artists, volunteers, and community organizers—who create meaningful cultural experiences in a wide range of settings. Performances take place in churches, parks, community halls, barns, libraries, living rooms, repurposed buildings, and, in some cases, established theatres and concert venues.

Despite this activity, much of this work remains largely invisible outside of its immediate community.

At the same time, English-speaking artists—whether based in Quebec or touring from elsewhere in Canada—often face challenges when trying to build viable touring routes within the province. Connections between regions are not always visible or coordinated, and opportunities for collaboration can be difficult to identify.

Project goals

This project aims to better understand how this ecosystem currently functions—and how it might be strengthened.

Over the course of the project, we will:

• Map English-language and bilingual presenting activity across Quebec
• Identify regional clusters of venues and presenting communities
• Explore existing touring routes, both formal and informal
• Document common barriers and challenges faced by artists and presenters
• Highlight opportunities for greater visibility, coordination, and knowledge-sharing

A key output of this work will be the development of a database of venues and presenting contexts, along with an analysis of potential touring patterns across regions.

A systems perspective

Touring does not happen in isolation—it depends on relationships, geography, timing, resources, and shared awareness. This project takes a systems-level view of how artists and presenters operate within these conditions.

Rather than assuming a single solution, the goal is to better understand how the ecosystem currently functions, and where there may be opportunities to support its continued development—whether through stronger connections, improved visibility, or other approaches identified through the research.

An invitation to participate

This work will be shaped by conversations with people across the field.

A short survey will be launched in June to gather input from presenters, artists, and others working in this context.

If you are:

• part of a venue or cultural organization in Quebec and present shows in English or offer bilingual programming
• an English-speaking artist or agent interested in touring the province
• someone with experience touring in Quebec who would be open to sharing insights

I would welcome the opportunity to connect. I will share more updates as the project develops.