Our primary role is to guarantee the survival and the continued existence of spaces that are already being used for performances. But there are a number of wonderful projects, certainly in Quebec, with the aim of transforming deconsecrated churches and “third places” into performance spaces. But SMAQ's priority is to ensure the long-term survival of existing performance spaces that are threatened and marginalized.
If a performance space closes its doors, it is very rarely replaced by another one. These are cultural assets that must be protected at all costs.
Of course, we are not opposed to the idea of using unoccupied spaces as performance venues. But that must not be done at the expense of the spaces that are managed by passionate, talented people, who are very often having a hard time keeping their spaces open and their stages available for Quebec artists.