Awards and grants
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal promotes our musical heritage by
offering grants and internationally renowned awards.
Created in 1982 under
the name Concours de Jazz, this award is offered to support the next generation(s)
of Canadian jazz musicians. Each year, the winning artist receives a trophy and
a $5,000 grant, and is invited to the following year’s Festival edition. The winner
also receives an invitation to participate in the Festi Jazz international de Rimouski
the following year, and in the Festival Internacional de Jazz y Blues Zacatecas,
in Mexico, the same year, as well as recording studio time and a licensing deal
to manufacture and distribute of an album.
Festival International de Jazz de Montréal grants
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal has created a number of grants to
recognize the excellence of students enrolled in jazz programs in Montréal universities.
The grants are awarded based on criteria of excellence promoted by both the Festival
and the music faculties.
Here is the list of university institutions benefiting from the Festival’s grants
program:
- Concordia University: The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal Jazz Studies
Award;
- McGill University: The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal Jazz Studies Award;
- Université du Québec à Montréal: Bourse Oliver Jones du Festival International de
Jazz de Montréal;
- Université de Montréal: Bourse du Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Dedicated
exclusively to guitarists, this grant is accompanied by the annual loan of a jazz
guitar from the Ste-Cat collection. The winner is invited to perform a mini-concert
during the Montreal Guitar Show. Alain Simard has been named an ambassador of the
faculty’s jazz department.
Two groups representing each of the faculties are eligible to participate in the
University Series at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.
Other social initiatives
The degree of social engagement shown by the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
can be measured in many other initiatives:
- Presenting a music series, Les envolées du Festival, dedicated to university
students.
- Hiring dozens of dropouts and student interns. Recruited through the intervention
of the Société de
développement économique Ville-Marie, the former are assigned to cleaning,
maintenance and on-site operations. Provided by the Jeun'Est organization, the latter
gain concrete experience in the technical aspects of staging and show production.
- Participating in the Coopérative jeunesse de services (CJS) project, a type of summer
work cooperative summer for young people aged 14-17.
- Paying special attention to
people with reduced or limited mobility.
- Donating unconsumed food prepared by our food service to the Maison du Père.
- Donating unclaimed lost-and-found objects to the Maison du Père. Unclaimed eyeglasses
are remitted to a local optometrist who redirects them to Haiti.
The Blues Camp
Created in 2007 for young local musicians aged 13-17, the
Blues Camp offers an extraordinary
opportunity to benefit from a week of high-level musical training. Dedicated exclusively
to blues, the experience is offered absolutely free of charge! [More…]
Behind the scenes
An insider's look at Blues Camp, with its Artistic Director and a few budding musicians.
JazzFest des jeunes
The JazzFest des jeunes series allows musicians from scholastic institutions
or amateur community groups to perform as part of the Festival. In order to participate,
budding musicians must first register in the annual Jazz de l’année event held by
the
JazzFest des jeunes du Québec. Founded in 1978, this organization allows
students to garner onstage experience and hone their skills by participating in
workshops hosted by professionals from the local, national and international music
scenes.
Samajam
In collaboration with its sponsor Rio Tinto Alcan, the 32nd edition of the Festival
International de Jazz de Montréal presented the show À mon école, moi je garde le
rythme. Some 720 children took the Rio Tinto Alcan stage to present this show, created
as part of the Projet Persévérance scolaire Samajam
(Stay in School Project). Created by Quebec producer Samajam, the project offers
schools a weekly training program in percussion, dance, music, staging and preparing
shows. The goal is to collectively produce a musical concert project, thereby encouraging
the development of a sense of belonging, pride and self-esteem among young people.
Presented at the Festival for the first time in 2011, the Samajam project will be
repeated in each of the next four editions.
The Consortium Écho-Logique
The first business in Québec to have established environmental waste management
on event sites, the
Consortium Écho-Logique is distinguished by a unique vision centred on social
economic values and eco-citizenship, and a dynamic and innovative image. As a social
economy enterprise, the Consortium also plays an active role in job creation for
people experiencing difficulties integrating into the labour market.
Since 2002, in concert with the Consortium Écho-Logique, the Festival International
de Jazz de Montréal has implemented an integrated waste recovery system conceived
for events attracting over two millions visitors. This initiative contributes to
achieving one of our principal goals: to reduce our environmental footprint. Compiling
recovery statistics from 2004 to 2010, we see that a total of 218 metric tons of
waste have been diverted from landfill sites. This positive balance sheet amply
attests to the relevance of our partnership with the Consortium Écho-Logique.