Montreal art festival strives to make the Village more diverse, highlights underground talent

Montreal's Village is full of reminders of its affiliation with the 2SLGBTQ+ community, from the rainbow flags lining Ste-Catherine Street, to its vibrant bars and businesses.

But, some performers and members of the community, like Vicky B. Ouellette, say they don't recognize themselves there.

The new festival Ctrl+Alt, running until Sunday, aims to change that and breathe new life into the Village's art scene, explains Ouellette, the general manager of STUDIO ZX — a non-profit promoting Montreal nightlife and the main organizer behind the event.

Since Friday, local underground artists from marginalized communities have been performing in the neighbourhood in an effort to breakup what Ouellette describes as the "homogenization" of the Village which she says has catered predominantly to cisgender, gay, white men.

"Most of the organizations that we're bringing here usually do not perform in the Village for the simple and very good reason that they don't feel safe or welcome," she said.

According to her, the Village has been suffering from a lack of underground culture, especially since the pandemic.

"Yes, there is always going to be the drag bars, but it has to be more welcoming and more representative of the entire scope of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community," she said. 

Ouellette aspires to help the communities who feel excluded to "re-appropriate" the Village. She says, the area could be more inclusive, for example, toward members of the transgender, lesbian, Latino and Black communities.

'Truly and profoundly for us and by us'

The festival features dance performances, electronic music, burlesque and drag shows, among other acts. 

DJ Mossy Mugler, who will be performing Saturday evening with their group Hauterageous Worldwide, says they value the importance of events like the Ctrl+Alt Festival. 

"Unfortunately we don't get a lot of spaces like this in the city, but it feels really nice to be surrounded by people who share your values, share your love for music, your love for art and queer people," said the founder of the group. 

It's in the underground scene that they met members of the community and found their passion for art.

"When I say underground, I really mean underground," they said. "These are people who have been pushed underground because the society doesn't accept them."

Mugler added that queer and transgender people are usually "pushed aside [and] marginalized" because they're not deemed worthy of public spaces. 

"Sometimes, they start escaping through art. And when you escape through art, you want to perform. But where do you perform?" they said.

Ouellette hopes this festival will be the first of many editions. 

"We really want to turn a new leaf in the festival industry in Montreal and showcase how possible it actually is to create something that is truly and profoundly for us and by us."  

The festival runs until Sunday at 8 p.m.