POP SYMPOSIUM POP Montreal is an international music festival celebrating its 15th edition from September 21st to the 25th, 2016. POP Montreal is a recognized multidisciplinary taste-making event, expanding its mission through various components: Puces POP, Art POP, Film POP, Kids POP and the POP Symposium. SYMPOSIUM TEAM! Yassin Alsalman POP Symposium Director yassin@popmontreal.com Claire Bos Marketing Director annie@popmontreal.com Olivia Diamond Director, Brand Partnerships olivia@popmontreal.com POP MONTREAL S PUBLICITY TEAM! media@popmontreal.com Sonia Cesaratto (QC) sonia@cesaratto.com Jeff Kilgour (US) jeff@thesyn.com ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: This is Yassin s first year as the Pop Symposium Director. Also known as Narcy, formerly The Narcicyst, Yassin is a celebrated musician, a University Professor at Concordia - teaching Quebec s only Hip- Hop Class, an actor and writer, as well as a film director. His work has been shared internationally, and he is a primary representative of the urban music scene in the Middle East. He currently teaches, tours, acts and is working on a long form film. He holds a double BA in Political Science and Communication Studies, and an MA in Media Studies focused on music and identity formation. MAKING SENSE OF MUSIC MAKING Since 2004, POP Montreal s POP Symposium has been providing a site for meaningful music-oriented discussions, bringing together an expansive range of the creative and industry figures from across the medium. Generally FREE and open to the public, the POP Symposium is a daytime event that takes place during the festival. This includes panel discussions, how to s, DIY projects, workshops and openconcept conferences, all taking place in a unique setting that invites involvement. The POP Symposium sheds light on key themes and important issues faced by young artists. The POP Symposium also provides the opportunity for participants, attendees and speakers to meet and greet on terms that reflect the openness of Montreal s artistic scene. Don t expect to hear the same old discourse! The POP Symposium highlights informative, evocative and untold personal and professional accounts, giving audience members a unique and intimate access to creators and creative minds. Presenters include music industry legends and artists specially curated by the festival, while discussions are led by important members of the music industry as well as Montreal s diverse creative community. In the past, the POP Symposium has brought legendary names such as Patti Smith, tune-yards, David Byrne, Tony Visconti, Steve Albini, Damon & Naomi, Dan Graham, Bernie Worrell, Fred Wesley, Van Dyke Park, The Raincoats, R. Stevie Moore, John Simon, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Irma Thomas, Andrew «Noz» Nosnitsky, Vivien Goldman, Andy Kim and many other luminaries. With a full five days of programming throughout the festival, the POP Symposium attracts several hundred festivalgoers and curious minds on a daily basis. 2
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT US... «C est comme une réflexion de la communauté underground musico-montréalais» Radio-Canada Remarkable events [ ] hilarious and interesting conversations Said the Gramophone «Des conférences souvent fascinantes» Nightlife.ca A neglected treasure Said The Gramophone One of the most interesting parts of POP Montreal Huffington Post Giving arts lovers a chance to connect with professionals in a more accessible way. Examiner.com Thought provoking discussion in a capacity that few other events can Tonedeaf.au «Certains des acteurs les plus pertinents de l industrie musicale d aujourd hui» Tourisme Montréal Enlightening information Leacocks «J en ressors avec une meilleure perception de Montréal.» CAMUZ POP Arcade A conversation between David Byrne and Win Butler 3
HIGHLIGHTS We Are the Medium conversation between B+ and Coleman of the collective Mochilla A conversation with Jean Grae The first edition of POP Arcade presented by Miscellaneum Studios, Heroes Never Lose and Multijoueur A conversation with Andy Kim Recording workshop with Steve Albini Talk on quality of music recording with Jonathan Sterne and George Massenburg Artist talk with Phil Collins and Damon & Naomi A conversation with Danny Goldberg A cooking workshop with Steve Albini Artist s Talk with Dan Graham A conversation between Glen O Brien and Andrew Noz Nosnitsky, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery. A conversation with Tony Visconti A conversation with King Yellowman discussing How to Write a Love Letta A conversation between David Byrne and Win Butler Artists talk with Cory Arcangel, Howie Chen and Alan Licht A conversation between Venus X and Bear Witness A conversation between Jeannette Lee and Vivien Goldman A panel discussion with Vincent Morisset, Damian Taylor, Melissa Weigel (Moment Factory) and Navid Navab A conversation with Seymour Stein A conversation with The Raincoats A conversation between Tim Hecker and Grimes Art Spiegelman s What the %&*! Happened to Comics?, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery. Voices on Voices, a workshop and live performance with tune-yards A master class and conversation with Gary Lucas A Baul workshop with Babukishan Das Baul 2010 A conversation with Van Dyke Parks A conversation with Carole Pope A conversation with Koudlam A bounce workshop with Big Freedia A master class and conversation with John Simon 2009 A conversation with Vincent Moon A conversation with Buffy Sainte-Marie A conversation with Diamanda Galas A conversation with Roxanne Shantet A jam workshop with Faust 2008 A conversation with Irma Thomas A conversation with Lydia Lunch A panel discussion Jem Cohen 2007 A panel discussion with Sandy Perlman, Dan Levitan and Steve Albini A conversation with Patti Smith A panel discussion with Buck 65 and Skratch Bastid 2006 A conversation with David Byrne 2004 A conversation with Ian Mackaye A conversation with Saul William A panel discussion with Busdriver 4
IMPORTANT POINTS MISSION: To create a space for creative discussion and narrative building while fostering an open spirit and vision of the future of local and national arts. WHO YOU LL SEE: The POP Symposium presents local and international authors, composers, film directors, sound engineers, artists and influential community leaders. WHAT THIS IS: The activities are often FREE and open to the public and run throughout the day. They include: Workshops: dance, music, songwriting, etc. Discussion panels Q & A sessions EVENTS Attendance 58,298 56,120 54,462 56,332 52,517+ Shows & Events 271 237 239 235 232 % of free events 53% 51% 43% 43% 52% Venues 55 56 48 57 54 PARTICIPANTS Music Artists 442 448 434 410 371 Non-Music Artists 235 147 146 188 219 Staff & Crew 190 187 180 147 125 Volunteers 400 400 390 383 375 PRESS COVERAGE MEDIA PROVENANCE Local (Québec): 81% National: 11% International: 8% 81% 8% 11% 5