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About

Manifesto

REFRAIN carries the aspirations of Quebec's cultural events, facilitating a fundamental contribution to the vitality of all regions.

REFRAIN is an alliance promoting and stimulating artistic activities that are essential to the development of tourism, economy, and culture in Quebec.

REFRAIN is a round table for sharing ideas, resources, and wise practices. Because it is through action and audacity that unique events are created and that eclecticism and successions of unforgettable moments emerge.

Because cultural initiatives must be encouraged so that art from here and abroad can be shown in all its forms.

Because art must reach and unite communities, everywhere in the province, in summer or in winter.

Because we must think big and welcome in our most beautiful settings, a large or intimate public, right here, with open arms, in our halls, creative spaces, churches, fields, streets and alleys.

Because Quebec’s towns, villages and countryside must be discovered. Their soul must inspire and amaze neighbors and visitors, their vitality must shine as far as the eye can see.

REFRAIN: A steady repetition between two verses, a familiar song, a rhythm, a glow, a beating heart. Because art should not be an exception in the day-to-day but be part of it.

Vision

Être la voix qui porte les aspirations des festivals régionaux artistiques indépendants et qui démontre leur apport essentiel à la vitalité du Québec.

Mission

The association's mission is to bring together and promote independent cultural festivals and events as key players in Quebec's economic, tourism and cultural development. It provides a consultation space for its members and supports them in their efforts to innovate, promote, share resources and best practices.

We are everywhere in Quebec

REFRAIN is...

90

festivals and events in Quebec

16

administrative regions

17

artistic disciplines

10000

artists presented on stage yearly

3

festival-goers

519

permanent employees

1 511

part-time employees

8 419

volunteers

20

eco-responsible certified members

66

events with a sustainable development policy

681

days of festivities

220

millions in economic benefits

REFRAIN'S team

  • Co-Executive Director

    Dominique Malo

    Director of operations, coordinator and project manager in the music and cultural industry for more than 20 years, Dominique Malo had a major role in the start-up of REFRAIN, through her work in obtaining funding from the Ministère de l'Économie. As Director of Operations at Grand Montréal Comique for the past 3 years, she is responsible for the complete management of all departments of the organization and supervises each of them. Dominique’s expertise in administration, accounting, grants, production, communications, logistics and programming have made her a real asset in a new organization.

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  • Coordinator

    Lydia Vallée

    With a degree in contemporary dance and project management, Lydia Vallée has many skills and talents. Passionate about the arts and committed to contribute to their development within Québec's society, she joined L'Équipe Spectra in 2011, where she learned the ins and outs of the music business. Rigorous, meticulous, dedicated and focused on efficiency and effectiveness at work, Lydia will grow within the Spectra team by holding several different positions. She then made a leap to community work and then to agrotourism as a community and event manager. At the same time, she also pursued her path as a contemporary dance teacher in several schools across the province. Wishing to renew her involvement in the cultural industry in an administrative role, Lydia is pleased to join the REFRAIN team in fall 2021 in the aim of carrying on the organization's valuable mission.

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  • Chargé de projet service aux membres

    Yanik Hardy

    Expert en gestion de relations professionnelles, Yanik revient à ses premiers amours après un détour de quelques années dans le monde de la mobilité urbaine. Titulaire d’un baccalauréat en Littérature anglaise et Communications de l’Université de Sherbrooke, il cumule plus de vingt ans d’expérience pour le compte d’une société collective de gestion de droits d’auteurs musicaux, la SOCAN, à titre de Représentant externe et de Relationniste au Service des licences. Au cours des ces années, sa grande sensibilité à la réalité des créateurs de musique s’est fusionnée à celle exprimée par les organisateurs d’événements et de festivals qu’il a rencontrés tout au long de sa route. Il est heureux de rejoindre l’équipe du REFRAIN afin de propulser l’organisation vers l’avant et mettre en œuvre le projet de mutualisation.

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Board of Directors

  • President

    Patrick Kearney

    Instigator of REFRAIN and General Manager of Santa Teresa Festival

    Patrick Kearney is the instigator of REFRAIN and has been its spokesperson since the beginning of the organization's activities. With a bachelor’s degree in teaching and a master's degree in management and organization development, he has been working in the field of sports, leisure and cultural industry for over 25 years. As general manager of the Santa Teresa Festival for the past 3 years, Patrick has developed a strong network in the cultural community and in several government departments and offices. Member of the board of directors of the Grand Montréal Comique and the Festival des Arts de Ruelles, he is also president of the Fédération de Judo du Québec.

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  • Secretary

    Caroline Parent

    Coordinator of Business Development and Special Projects at Diffusion Hector-Charland

    Caroline Parent has been working in the cultural industry for nearly 15 years, in project management and development, in event planning and media relations. She is a member of Collège de l'Assomption’s board of directors and member of its governance, ethics, and human resources committee. She has been a member of Table d’orientation de Tourisme Lanaudière since April 2018 and is very active in the community living of the MRC de L'Assomption by participating in various committees of local organizations. Currently coordinator of business development and special projects at Diffusion Hector-Charland, Caroline represents the Festival Fous de théâtre, which is dedicated to promoting contemporary creative theater in its various dimensions.

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  • Treasurer

    Kathéry Couillard

    Executive Director of the Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon and the Festival La Dégelée!

    Kathéry Couillard has been involved in organizations in remote and rural areas for many years. She strongly believes in the important role that the cultural industry plays in the revitalization of communities and in regional development. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Grange octogonale Adolphe-Gagnon for two years and spent two years as a member of the Table jeune de la MRC de Montmagny. Kathéry is the Executive Director of the Carrefour mondial de l'accordéon and the Festival La Dégelée!

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  • Administrator

    Léa Philippe

    Instigator of FAR Festival des arts de ruelle

    Promoting cultural activities in non-traditional spaces is what drives Léa Philippe. This instigator of the FAR Festival des arts de ruelle has been presenting since 2017 an exciting range of short professional artistic performances of all disciplines, in an explosive and warm atmosphere. Trained as a comedian, Léa is always looking for the "real" contact with the public, the interaction, the gathering. Her keen interest in street arts led her to co-found Les Panachés and join the board of directors of the Regroupement des Arts de Rue du Québec. She also founded Diffusion FAR, an agency specializing in cultural events in public spaces and unusual locations. To date, Léa Philippe has collaborated on the artistic content of over 300 events on four continents.

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  • Administrator

    Alain Mongeau

    Founder and General and Artistic Director of MUTEK

    Founder and general and artistic director of MUTEK for the past 20 years, Alain Mongeau has extensive experience in the management and development of networks and has taken part in various local and international initiatives, in addition to his knowledge of government agencies. Very much involved in the cultural community, he has participated in several advisory committees that led to the creation of C2 Montréal, the Printemps numérique and the COMPOSITE series of networking events in digital creativity. Alain is also a member of the Comité culture de Tourisme Montréal and of the Commission numérique de Culture Montréal.

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  • Administrator

    Alan Côté

    General and Artistic Director of the Village en chanson de Petite-Vallée

    General and artistic director of the Village en chanson de Petite-Vallée for 38 years, Alan Côté has been a member of several boards of directors, including Roseq, Rideau, Conseil de la culture and CALQ for 10 years. He has been actively involved in the creation of REFRAIN since its very beginning and enjoys sharing his experience as a patriarch. After developing a similar organization in the Gaspé region, Alan is proud to participate in the creation of a national association.

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  • Administrator

    Clément Turgeon

    Founder and General Manager of Festif! de Baie-St-Paul

    A self-taught professional, Clément Turgeon has many skills in financing, political representation, communications, programming, and creation. Founder and general manager of the Festif! de Baie St-Paul, he is responsible for its artistic direction and programming. He also manages the development and creation of new projects in addition to handling all the financing (sponsorships and grants).

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  • Administrator

    Étienne Lavigne

    General Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur

    Etienne Lavigne has been a dance professional for 25 years, with training at l’École supérieure de danse du Québec in Montréal, the San Francisco Ballet School, and the National Ballet of Cuba. During his career as a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, he founded the company Anymotion Productions with a colleague, and has created a dozen large-scale independent performances, as well as seven dance films. General Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur since 2016, Etienne is also involved as a member of the Créneau des Laurentides committee, the cultural committee of the MRC des Pays-d'en-Haut, the Dancer's Transition Center and the Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

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  • Administrator

    Fred Poulin

    General Manager of Festival La Noce and Co-Founder of Pouzza Fest

    Fred Poulin has been working in the music and record industry for now 20 years. With a background built mostly in record companies and events, he began his career at Universal Music and then worked at Indica Records for several years as marketing director. In 2010, he founded his own management company and in 2015 the record company Duprince. In parallel, he co-founded Le Pouzza Fest and was involved in the Drummondville Poutine Festival and Pop Montreal. After working on the programming team for the Francofolies, the International Jazz Festival and Montréal en lumière in Montreal, Fred has been general manager of the festival La Noce for the past 4 years, in his native region of Saguenay.

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  • Administrator

    Louis-Philippe Lemay

    General Manager of several festivals and Co-Founder of CHAPO-Festival International d'amuseurs publics and Festival Frissons

    For over 10 years, Louis-Philippe Lemay has been involved in numerous artistic projects in the Lanaudière region, but also across Quebec. He co-founded the CHAPO-Festival International d'amuseurs publics and the Festival Frissons. The one who really understands the reality of start-up festivals began his career in teaching, then switched to studies in television production in Jonquière, and flirted for a while with law studies. After a decade of working freelance in the event industry as a producer and executive producer, Louis-Philippe is now the general manager of several regional arts festivals, representing different realities and disciplines on REFRAIN’s board of directors.

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  • Administrateur

    Normand Junior Thirnish-Pilot

    Directeur général du festival Innu Nikamu

    Normand Junior Thirnish-Pilot coordonne le festival Innu Nikamu, un festival de musique autochtone et l'un des plus grands festivals sans alcool au Québec. Sa vision du festival, inspirée par son prédécesseur, en est une de réconciliation, de promotion de la paix, de l'harmonie entre les peuples. Par-dessus tout, il souhaite amener du bonheur aux enfants ainsi que des souvenirs impérissables à travers les années. Normand Junior a aussi créé un comité pour venir en aide aux jeunes autochtones, en réaction au suicide d'une jeune fille Innue de 13 ans dans une communauté éloignée et isolée sur la Côte-Nord.

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