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HISTORY...
A registered charity founded in 1972, the Quebec Drama Federation exists to encourage and maintain English-language theatre in Quebec by providing leadership in promotion, development, and support.
Who are our members?
Individuals involved in theatre: actors, playwrights, directors, designers,
stage managers, technicians, administrators, educators and students
Professional theatre companies: Established, Intermediate, and Emerging
Community theatre companies and training institutions
What does QDF do?
Represents companies and individuals involved in English-language theatre
within government agencies, arts organizations, and community groups.
Develops new audiences by promoting English-language theatre to the general public, the tourist sector, and the arts community.
Creates a network for its members and provides them with specialised resources to facilitate career development.
Professional affiliations
include :
Conseil québécois du théâtre (CQT)
Académie québécoise du théâtre (AQT)
Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en culture (CQRHC)
Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA)
Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
HISTORY
The 1970s: The Festival
The Quebec Drama Festival was founded in 1972
as a result of the vacuum created by the collapse of the Dominion Drama
Festival. In its first three years, QDF was a competition event for full-length
plays. In spring of 1975, QDF produced two annual festivals: a fall community
festival and a spring festival of one-act Canadian plays. By 1978, QDF
decided to produce a festival with professional guest directors.
The 1980s: The Federation
In 1981, QDF produced another one-act festival
at the Centaur Theatre. In the fall of 1985, the Quebec daily “La
Presse” published an article announcing that English theatre in Quebec
was practically dead. In response, an open meeting was held for Montreal’s
professional theatre artists. This first “Colloque” resulted
in the creation of a standing committee, who prepared and circulated a
brief on the situation to all levels of government, helping QDF to receive
funds to hire its first full-time Executive Director in 1987. In June
1989, the reconstituted organization changed its name to the Quebec Drama
Federation.
The 1990s: The Coalition
QDF’s 1991 Annual General Meeting created
the appointment of a Board of Directors, largely made up of active theatre
professionals. QDF immediately undertook lobbying activities which resulted
in a 1992 policy paper which stipulated that the Quebec Government “acknowledges
the contribution of English-speaking Quebecers to Quebec's culture and
will, consequently, strengthen its support for the development of their
heritage and its support for English-speaking artists and English-language
cultural organizations in conjunction with its regular programs”.
In 1994, QDF revived the coalition of English-Language Arts Organizations
and helped to create the Quebec Community Groups’ Network (QCGN).
By 1995, QDF became the first arts group of 13 English-language groups
to sign a four-year agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage,
solidifying QDF its position.
2000 to the present: The New Focus
The beginning of the millennium saw QDF move
to its current downtown location on Ste. Catherine Street. This marks
a new chapter in QDF’s long history – a renewed focus and energy,
with initiatives such as the upgrading of our website, professional development
workshops, the updated Theatre Calendar, and research reports on the feasibility
of new production spaces for English-language theatre artists. QDF acts
as a hub for the community, a collective voice representing companies
(both professional and community), theatre artists of all disciplines,
training institutions, educators, and students. In addition, new opportunities
are emerging through collaboration with both the French theatre community,
and the greater arts community in Quebec. The coming months and years
promise to be busy and rewarding for QDF and English-language theatre.
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