Our Government is committed to supporting cultural and creative industries, and making Canada a global innovation leader by promoting new investments that contribute to economic growth.

Today, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, announced on his behalf and on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, $6.5 million in funding for Zú to support the development of its creative hub. Zú is a centre for creativity and collaboration in the arts sector and offers artists the chance make use of high-performance equipment, shared workspaces as well as public exhibit and promotional space.

Funded by Canadian Heritage through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the $6 million will allow Zú to renovate the collaborative and public spaces of the Complexe-de-La-Maison-Alcan to accommodate as many as 300 creators and entrepreneurs each year.

This will give Canadian creators access to cutting-edge facilities, which will help them develop entrepreneurial skills. It will also allow for creation, collaboration and innovation while also exposing their work to new markets.

Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) is granting a non-repayable contribution of $500,000. This financial assistance will allow the organization to enhance the services it provides for young creators like incubation activities, which will encourage the emergence of new projects, new intellectual properties and new businesses in the entertainment sector.

Specifically, CED’s assistance will help Zú develop a digital platform and purchase specialized equipment for entrepreneurs, independent creators and start-ups, which includes high-tech audiovisual technology for processing images, sound effects, and virtual reality gear.

Quotes

“THIS AMBITIOUS RENOVATION PROJECT WILL GIVE MONTRÉAL A GATHERING PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF ARTS AND CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS THAT WILL ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AMONG ARTISTS, CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURS AND ORGANIZATIONS. THE CREATIVE HUB WILL OFFER THE PUBLIC A WIDE RANGE OF INNOVATIVE VIRTUAL AND DIGITAL ARTISTIC OFFERINGS.”

– The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

“OUR GOVERNMENT’S OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP BUSINESSES GROW AND INNOVATE SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE AND CREATE HIGH-QUALITY JOBS FOR CANADIANS. THAT IS WHY WE ARE SUPPORTING ZÚ, WHOSE SUCCESS ECHOES THROUGH THE REGION AND THE ENTIRE CANADIAN ECONOMY.”

– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

“ZÚ THANKS THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR THIS GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION. WITH THIS SUPPORT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO RENOVATE ZÚ’S SPACES IN THE COMPLEXE-DE-LA-MAISON-ALCAN HERITAGE SITE AND BOLSTER THEM WITH CUTTING-EDGE EQUIPMENT. ZÚ WILL BE A HUB FOR CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THIS UNIQUE SPACE WILL ENABLE CANADIAN CREATORS, ARTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS TO CREATE INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND DEVELOP NEW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR. ZÚ WILL ALSO BE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, OFFERING A PLACE FOR ALL TO GATHER, EXPERIENCE AND DISCOVER.”

– Guillaume Thérien, Acting Executive Director of Zú

Quick facts

  • Zú is a non-profit organization whose mission is to gather, help and promote creative entrepreneurs in the entertainment sector and help them develop world-class innovative projects. Zu supports them in their creative and growth process by facilitating access to the necessary resources for the development of new intellectual property.
  • The funded project consists of purchasing specialized equipment and renovating to the spaces of the Maison Alcan complex with the goal of developing a creative hub. This creative and collaborative space will bring together a number of arts professionals (visual arts, media arts, circus, etc.) and creative disciplines (architecture, graphic design, interactive digital media, music, etc.) and offer activities and services for those in the community.
  • The Complexe-de-La-Maison-Alcan, whose facilities were built at different times between 1872 and the early 1980s, consists of several spaces. The Béique and the Holland will have a mixed configuration, with open and closed spaces (meeting room and offices) to give creators greater flexibility. The Berkeley will be dedicated to co-development with open spaces and will be used for training and conference space. The Atrium of Maison Alcan will house a public space, with discovery stations for projects designed by creators, technical installations for staging events or exhibits of digital pieces and furniture to be used for various purposes. Lastly, the Citadelle will be used as a presentation space with a maximum capacity of 800 seats.