Thank you for inviting me.
I will try to answer your questions first by presenting a model that has existed for 25 years. Sometimes I even say that I am the grandmother of the digital arts in Quebec.
The Société des arts technologiques, or SAT, now sees itself as a model of the social economy. I will give a quick presentation on that aspect of the SAT. The second part pertains to the issue of the day, that is, how to create this great Canadian network. Finally, I will provide some information about SAT's economic work.
The SAT was founded in 1996. From the outset, its mission was threefold: creation, research, and training in the digital arts. From the outset then, we reached out to the new generation of creators and researchers in the digital era. I say “creators and researchers” because too often we forget that the arts, which are also a research field, are part of the social sciences. So we must remember that the arts are a research field.
I distributed a postcard from the SAT. On the back, you can see the various spaces and activities we offer.
It was an abandoned market on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, across from the Monument National. When I opened the doors, there were 600 frozen pigeons inside. No one would have been interested, but I have to say that, in the digital age, there are many initiatives and projects around the world that also intersect with heritage.
We had the double mandate of launching the first project, which also launched the Quartier des spectacles, or entertainment district, and included with us the whole new generation of artists born in the digital era and who now work with these art forms.
In 2011, we added the dome or Satosphere, a large projection screen. There is a restaurant on that floor. It is part of the localvore movement, that is, cuisine that features products from local farmers. The administration and production facilities are also there. I would also point out that we also have a research centre, a production centre, and a training centre on the premises.
What role does the SAT and its centres play today? In my opinion, we are right at the crossroads of innovation, that is, between universities and industry. When young people graduate from university nowadays, they need a first chance and a first job. They need a place that includes people, tools, facilities, and a context, and the SAT is that meeting place for those young graduates. It is also a networking centre, because it is where they find like-minded people who want to start up companies.
When I say I am the grandmother, that is because it was at the SAT that the Moment Factory was created, and it was at the SAT that artists founded C2 Montreal and other companies. These spaces are very important because they are also physical spaces where people can meet. We are talking about the virtual and digital world of course, but people still have to meet in person to make babies.
The SAT is recognized, because it also offers models. A lot of young people pursue higher education after coming to the SAT. We know there are not enough post-secondary students in Quebec. The SAT is that space for innovation and incubation between these two main sectors.
We also talk about the circular economy. Once again, we host creation, research, training, production, and dissemination activities, and then we archive everything. It is clear that the SAT is a model that supports itself. I will come back to that. We are obviously part of this big family of hubs.
We chose our name nearly 25 years ago, but if we had to change it, it would be “Société + art + technologie”, since the big issue is to figure out how the arts and technology interact with society.
Artists are the artisans of the future. The SAT has a creation and production centre. It welcomes artists in residence and offers international exchange programs, networking workshops, events that support emerging creation, commissions, as well as technical solutions for artists in residence. It has a theatre with 1,800 seats for all SAT activities; that is extremely generous. It is a multipurpose venue with multiple possible configurations.
We export our expertise. The SAT disseminates its works, including through a network of planetarium immersive theatres. The SAT model can be exported in whole or in part.
We are currently providing training to Cuba, and we will be opening the Sonar Festival, in Barcelona, with arts performances. Further, our research is now being exported and even copied. The SAT receives roughly 100 to 125 foreign delegations every year. We also serve as a showcase, which is a very important role.
I will talk about the research program later. That being said, it was very important for us to make research a focal point of our activities because we can play a significant role in this way. At one time, we received funding from the new media research networks fund, which allowed us to develop tools that were designed and produced by artists.
I like to point out that, although artists are the worst possible clients, the advanced research they do meets the standards of engineers and architects the world over. Like it or not, there will be more and more of it. So we develop software with these extraordinary clients who are artists. They spur on the researchers and engineers, of whom the SAT has 12 as part of our permanent team.
I think we could have an important tool one day by reimagining the relationship between the arts and engineering. Artists can spur on these new trades, whether the engineers were trained in Quebec or in Germany. It makes no difference. On the other hand, if some of them know how to work with artists or artisans who spur on their expertise, that means we can send more capable engineers into the world.
We also use software solutions. Later on, I will show you a project that comes directly from research. We develop products and do design and prototypes.
We are part of a culture of the development of tools and technologies that have a direct impact on our society. We are involved in the community. We do networking, hold a symposium, and collaborate with international, national and local institutions. We offer training. So I am talking about passing on knowledge. Our campus has now developed beyond the basic structure in an amazing way.
For the past six years, we have been offering digital training to plastic arts teachers with the Montreal school board. We host school groups, hold camps every weekend, and day camps in the summer. We offer in-home training for seniors and teach them to store their photo albums on WordPress. This allows them to indicate the names and years for their photos. Lord knows how tricky things can get if that is not done.
The SAT offers training for people aged 5 to 97. Our approach is transcultural, transgenerational, and transdisciplinary. The SAT has a cross-cutting approach. Our model includes creation, production, training, research, dissemination, and networking. Our physical space gives us a way to showcase our work and to quickly make versions of our research results by appealing to the public for feedback. I also mentioned that our work is exported, something that is growing.
To sum it up, the SAT has roughly 100,000 visitors per year, presents 854 artists, 519 of whom are from the new generation, and 274 activities. Further, 26 festivals use our premises. That amounts to a total of 708 presentations and includes our creations, performances, private outside events and, increasingly, the training we offer. We also hold an annual symposium on the immersive experience.
I can also share some additional figures. We currently have 290 employees, whether they are full-time, part-time, or paid professional fees. We are a cultural entrepreneur and the majority of our people are under the age of 35. Our building and facilities are an asset valued at $14 million and our payroll is $2,620,000. We occupy 44,000 square feet on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
With regard to communications, the SAT has a presence on all platforms. We publish an information letter with a readership of 36,000 people, and we have supporters and subscribers.
A while ago, we considered certain questions with our colleagues. I am referring to networks, libraries, and theatres in particular, but no one is part of a network.
What are we missing to form a network?
At the SAT, we have brought together centre directors and technicians. So we wonder how we could design a tool that would allow us to create an interface.
What I mean is creating a tool that is part of the consoles in our theatres to connect our theatres, to create a permanent link between them. So it would be a tool that—