There are clearly some areas that are less affected than others in terms of foreign exports. However, companies that perform shows for children and dance companies all tell you the same thing: the Canadian market is simply too small. That is a limitation that affects us because we are a company involved in both research and creation, I'd say. Our shows are accessible but unconventional, and we work in multimedia. We were one of the first companies to use multimedia, and that is also one of the reasons why are invited to perform abroad. However, we may take three or four years to do research and explore different options. Unlike other companies, we cannot limit ourselves to 20 performances in our home city of Montreal. We have presented some shows all over the world. One we have now removed from our repertoire, called L'histoire de l'oie or The Tale of Teeka in English, won a Governor General's Award. We performed it 549 times over a 15-year period.
For us, these funding cuts are a disaster.
Of course, it is a fabulous activity, from both an artistic and economic standpoint. The Les Deux Mondes company is the result of international outreach. Without that international outreach, someone other than myself would be sitting at this table, because the company would not have been sustainable financially, had it been forced to limit itself to performing in Canada. Having said that, it also performs here in Canada. We do outreach at the regional, national and international levels.