Arts Alive ! Quebec – Day 2

All of the Arts Alive! Quebec activities are free and do not require registration. No more than 50 visitors will be allowed on the Chaussée des Écossais at once.

On Saturday, September 18, the Chaussée des Écossais will be filled with local artisans’ booths, while the stage will be busy with a concert, a workshop, and presentations by community members. Family activities will be held throughout the day, including a special Storytime and a treasure hunt.

10:30 a.m. – Storytime (3 to 7 years old)

Our Education Coordinator will present the book Anonymouse, written by Vikki Vansickle and illustrated by Anna Pirolli, as well as a game for all participants. Come investigate with the book characters and find out about the mysterious “Anonymouse” who creates works of art for other street animals!

12:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Scavenger Hunt (Family activity)

Our Book Quest coordinator put together an artistic scavenger hunt filled with puzzles and challenges to entertain young and old alike. Will you be able to identify the right colors? Is your mind sharp enough to untangle the threads of the mystery? Are you observant enough to find the hidden clues? There’s only one way to know!

12:00 to 5:00 p.m. – Artisan Fair

Booths displaying the wares of local artisans will be set up on the Chaussée des Écossais!

• Jewelery – Sásta Creations
• Soap – La Danse des Savons
• Yarns and Fibers – Coeur de Mailles
• Painting – AJArtworks

12:30 p.m. – The Stories Behind the Songs, with Rob Lutes

Recounting some fascinating stories behind mostly well-known songs from the past, singer-songwriter Rob Lutes will lead a one-hour chronological tour through some of the major movements in Western popular music, from its earliest iterations in America in the 18th and 19th centuries, through the birth of new genres like ragtime and blues and the flowering of Tin Pan Alley, the first home of the popular music industry.

4:00 p.m. – Concert with Randall Spear (with Stephane Beaudin)

Born in Montreal in 1968, Randall Spear is influenced by his Irish roots given to him by his grandfather combined with the incredible record collection of his brother-in-law, Bob Beauchamp, who was a DJ for CHOM-FM during the heydays of the 1970s. His love for music brought him to Quebec City to study classical guitar and composition at the Quebec Conservatory of Music where he won his first songwriting competition. He has played all over Canada, from folk festivals in Havre-Saint-Pierre to downtown Toronto. He has shared the stage with some of the best musicians in the country.

And many more presentations by community members!

The Arts Alive! Québec festival started as an initiative by the English-language Arts Network, a not-for-profit organization that connects, supports, and promotes Quebec’s English-speaking artists and art communities. Over the past five years, several regions throughout the province have participated in Arts Alive! Québec. These festivals have featured their local artistic communities with events reflecting local tastes and customs. In 2021, the Morrin Centre is proud to feature Quebec City’s artistic community for a sixth consecutive year with its own take on the festival. Arts Alive! Québec is an opportunity to come together and to celebrate local English-language creativity while building bridges between English-speaking and French-speaking communities.

This project is made possible by the support of the Government of Canada and of Québecor.