Diversité Artistique Montréal (DAM)

DAM arose from the Delegation for Cultural Diversity in the Arts, set up in 2004 by the Conseil des arts de Montréal following a day of dialogue. This independent 30-member group made a series of recommendations to the Conseil and the City of Montreal following public consultation on its cultural development project in 2005.

The group proved to be influential: several of its recommendations were accepted by the Conseil and City of Montreal. Most notably, the Conseil created the position of Liaison & Development Officer for Cultural Diversity, gave its Touring Program Coordinator the responsibility for the file, and devised a Policy for the Promotion and Development of Cultural Diversity in the Arts. In view of these results, and in order to have a permanent voice, the members of the Delegation decided to form an association (Diversité artistique Montréal) in 2006. The Conseil supported this move, and provided the organization with office space.

An independent body, Diversité artistique Montréal (DAM) set itself the goal of promoting diversity in the arts, and of keeping a watchful eye on policies and initiatives relating to the artistic and cultural communities. In short, DAM’s mission is to ensure that Montreal’s culturally diverse communities are fairly represented.

DAM works alongside the Conseil des arts Montréal, with which it published 167 Worlds to Discover—Directory of Artistic Diversity in Montreal (2008), a compendium of 167 artists from culturally diverse communities. The initial version has been replaced by an Internet version, administered by DAM. The organization has also published an on-line Guide des publics, an original idea stemming from the joint efforts of the Delegation and the Conseil. The Conseil des arts de Montréal, in collaboration with DAM, launched the pilot project démArt-Mtl in 2011 thanks to the financial support of Défi Montréal. It provides culturally diverse artists with professional internships.

Let's not forget that DAM was located at the Maison du Conseil des arts de Montréal until 2011 and still receives an annual grant to continue its development.

More information on the organization and its activities can be found on its website: Diversité artistique Montréal.