It's a big "Phew! of relief expressed in chorus by the artisans of the cultural community on Tuesday, after the announcement of new flexibility by the Legault government, including the possibility for cinemas and the majority of performance halls to welcome their public to the maximum of their capacity as of February 28.
“This is great news! We asked for predictability from the start and we are given the opportunity to find 100% of our audience soon, ”says the co-president of the Conseil québécois du théâtre (CQT), Rachel Morse. She recalls that with the 50% gauge currently allowed, many shows are canceled for lack of being able to separate the public in two or of being able to choose among the spectators the lucky ones who will be able to attend a performance.
Performance halls (with seats) and cinemas will nevertheless have to make do with half-screens by the time they return to full capacity on February 28. The limit of 500 people currently in force will, however, be lifted on February 21. The Bell Center and the Videotron Center will have to wait until March 14 to reopen 100%. Wearing a face covering remains compulsory, as does the vaccination passport.
Outdoor events will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 people on February 14, and there will be no limit after March 14.
“Each easing is good news, especially as the return to full capacity falls on the eve of spring break. It’s perfect timing for us, ”joyfully underlines the co-president of the Association of Quebec Cinema Owners (APCQ), Éric Bouchard. And, unlike last year, programming is no longer a problem for theater owners, who have plenty of choices to entertain Quebecers.
For her part, the executive director of the group of professional presenters of RIDEAU shows, Julie-Anne Richard, is delighted to see the cultural community “finally heard” by the government. “Now we will be able to make informed decisions in the longer term, it is reassuring. »
No more closures?
She especially remembers a sentence launched by Prime Minister François Legault on Tuesday, at a press conference: “We will have to learn to live with the virus. "We are not immune to a new monster suddenly appearing, a new, more dangerous variant," she said. But his words [to Mr. Legault] still give me the impression that we are going to get out of this infernal cycle of closing-opening-closing for several months. »
Rachel Morse, of the CQT, remains on her guard. “I am afraid of a new wave, of a new closure, she says. The cultural environment is exhausted, the mental health [of the workers] is very fragile. We are now asked not to close again. We are there, in our fed up, in the middle. »
The executive director of the Regroupement québécois de la danse, Nadine Medawar, argues that the “revival of culture will take several years”. “The lack of manpower and the accumulation of sectoral fatigue have left their mark. So, the support of culture and solidarity with our professionals must remain strongly present in the mid-to-long term. »
An opinion shared by several organizations in the community who are firmly waiting for a recovery plan from the Ministry of Culture. The support measures for the show in connection with the pandemic have for the moment been confirmed until March 31.
