The Centre Sanaaq is a mixed-use site featuring a library, performance hall, exhibition hall and community spaces. 

The Centre Sanaaq’s offering is guided by four themes: Digital, music, participatory governance, and the promotion of indigenous cultures. 

Programming

Innovative, inclusive, and diverse programming is developed in partnership with the community for audiences of all ages. Programming takes place not only in the centre’s spaces, but also outdoors, in the public spaces of Square Cabot and Place Henri-Dunant. The program includes open-air cinema, walking activities, concerts, shows and more. 

Participatory governance 

The centre, managed jointly by the city and the community, highlights participatory governance: Decisions relating to programming and services are made “by” the community “for” the community, to best meet residents’ visions and needs. 

Since winter 2023, a steering committee made up of community and cultural organizations, artists and residents has been defining the participatory governance model for the Centre Sanaaq. 

Two thematic committees have been created: 

• The living environment committee
• The programming committee, which drew up this call for projects.

This call aims to support projects led by the community, and integrate them into the programming of the Centre Sanaaq.

A total of $50,000 is available to fund community-initiated projects. 

This call for projects is based on the principles defined in the programming charter drawn up by the programming committee. This charter also applies to cultural, sports and recreation and community programming at the Centre Sanaaq. 

The central principles are: 

• Promoting cultural diversity (including indigenous cultures)
• Inclusiveness and accessibility in line with the GBA+ approach
• Intergenerationality
• Showcasing local, emerging and international artists
• Learning about musical culture and making it more accessible
• Helping people better understand and own digital culture
• Grounding in the Peter-McGill district community
• Promoting eco-responsible practices or awareness of the ecological tradition and protection of living organisms

This call is divided into two categories:

• Category 1 – Artists, artist collectives and non-profit cultural organizations
• Category 2 – Non-profit community, sports and recreation organizations 

Montréal residents who wish to submit a project in one of these categories can do so through an artist, an artist collective, a cultural organization or a community, sports and recreation organization. 

Each applicant is entitled to submit only one application in the category of their choice.

Category 1 - Artists and artist collectives 

To be eligible for this call, artists and artist collectivesmust: 

• Be based in Montréal
• Be a professional artist* 

* Ville-Marie recognizes the status of professional artist as defined in the Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, film, the recording arts, literature, arts and crafts and the performing arts, administered by the Québec Minister of Culture and Communications, CQLR c. S-32.1 

To be eligible for this call, emerging artists and collectivesmust: 

• Live in Montréal
• Have specialized training in their field (not necessarily in an educational institution), be in the early stages of their career and have created a few works independently. 

To be eligible for this call, cultural organizations must: 

• Be recognized by the Registraire des entreprises du Québec
• Be legally constituted for at least 6 months on the date the project is submitted
• Provide letters patent
• Have their headquarters in Montréal

To be eligible for this call, citizens must: 

• Live in Montréal

Category 2 - Non-profit community, sports and recreation organizations 

To be eligible for this call, organizations must: 

• Be recognized by the Registraire des entreprises du Québec
• Be legally constituted for at least 6 months on the date the project is submitted
• Provide letters patent
• Have their headquarters in Montréal

To be eligible for this call, individuals must: 

• Live in Montréal

Projects can be financed up to 100 per cent. The maximum contribution for each project is $7,000 (taxes included). The amount awarded by the jury may differ from the amount requested.

Financial support will be provided in the form of a single payment once the project has been completed. To receive the support, applicants must submit an invoice approved by the Centre Sanaaq.

The applicant assumes full responsibility for financing the project and managing all expenditure items.

Eligible expenses: 

• Expenses for project promotion: Social media, graphic design, productions, posters (maximum 10 per cent of the total budget);
• Equipment rental costs (maximum 30 per cent of the total budget);
• Project administration (maximum 10 per cent of the total budget);
• Copyrights, reproduction rights, licenses, fees, professional fees;
• Expenses for the purchase of equipment or supplies needed to carry out the project. 

Ineligible expenses: 

• Capital expenditure
• Expenses directly related to the regular programming of the organizations
• The organization’s operating expenses.

The proposed project must: 

• Be open and accessible to the public, free of charge
• Reflect the Centre Sanaaq’s programming charter
• Be a cultural, sports, leisure or community project 

Eligible projects 

Light sports activities, cultural dissemination and mediation, visual arts, performing arts, multidisciplinary arts, community projects, urban agriculture, cultural recreation and amateur artistic practice. 

Concrete examples of projects: Inclusive and adapted dance classes, culinary discovery workshops, gentle gymnastics classes, live arts performances, visual and digital arts exhibitions, computer/digital literacy courses, community services, etc.

The projects proposed must be open to all, accessible, free of charge and, if possible, must not be aimed at a small number of people (except in the case of limited space capacity, like the culinary lab). 

Ineligible projects 

• Individual, private activities that are not open to the public
• Commercial, for-profit activities
• Religious and political activities
• Paid activities and those involving fundraising
• Research projects (including research and creation projects)*
• Fairs, markets, exhibitions, galas, competitions, conferences, and conventions.* 

 * Note that research, fair and exhibition projects that are accessible to all and provide a service to the public may be eligible.

Projects must be presented in or near the Centre Sanaaq. 

In the Centre Sanaaq 

Multi-purpose rooms and meeting room 

• Multi-purpose room 1 - Capacity: 45 seats
• Multi-purpose room 2 - Capacity: 60 seats
• Multi-purpose room 3 - Capacity: 50 seats
• Meeting room 4 - Capacity: 14 seats 

Performance hall 

• Capacity: 250 seats

A technical data sheet for the hall can be provided upon request. Snacks and drinks are not permitted in the auditorium.

Culinary lab 

• Capacity: 13 seats 

*MAPAQ certification is required to book the culinary lab. Use of the culinary laboratory requires insurance coverage that includes the Ville de Montréal as a co-insured party. The endorsement must be signed by the insurer and submitted at least two weeks before the start of the project. The culinary lab’s hours of operation will be determined together with the centre’s team.

Exhibition hall

• Capacity: 45 seats 

A technical data sheet for the hall can be provided upon request. If the exhibition hall is not available, the Centre Sanaaq team may offer a temporary exhibition space instead. 

Outside the Centre Sanaaq 

Place Henri-Dunant and Parc Hector-Toe-Blake are the two outdoor sites that can host projects (Square Cabot is not included, as it is already has a program and is used by the community). 

• Place Henri-Dunant
• Parc Hector-Toe-Blake

*The urban agriculture bins in Parc Hector-Toe-Blake belong to Innovation jeunes. 

Venues and dates for projects will be determined in consultation with the Centre Sanaaq team.

All projects will be evaluated by a stakeholder jury made up of: 

• A resident
• An artist
• An NPO representative from the Peter-McGill neighbourhood
• A member of the Centre Sanaaq team
• A representative of the Centre’s participatory governance committee 

 All projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Quality (35 per cent)
  • Originality of the project compared with all other proposals;
  • Project reflects the principles of the Centre Sanaaq’s programming charter.
• Impact (40 per cent)
  • Relevance of the project to the artist’s or the artist collective’s approach or the organization’s mandate, and their experience or capacity to carry out the project (contribution to the development and influence of the artist/organization, history, or previous achievements);
  • Project target audience: Is the project aimed at the Centre Sanaaq’s target audience? Is the project adapted to the target audience? How involved will the participants be?
  • What impact will the project have on the community?
• Feasibility (25 per cent)
  • Realistic budget forecasting, and presentation of a balanced budget
  • Is the project adapted to the constraints set out in the technical data sheets?
  • How feasible are the activities? (resources required, time, means)
  • Is the project technically feasible? (technical and logistical support needed, regulatory approvals required)
• Additional point (2 per cent)
  • Eco-responsible practices or awareness of the ecological transition and the protection of living organisms (e.g. recycling, composting, use of public or active transport, use of ecological, local, or organic products);
  • Do most of the activities of the organization, artist, or collective take place in the Peter-McGill community?

Tous les projets seront évalués seront les critères suivants :

• Qualité artistique 30 %
• Impact du projet sur la communauté 30 %
• Faisabilité technique, budgétaire et logistique 20 %
• Point supplémentaires 20 %

Des points supplémentaires seront attribués aux :

• Propositions provenant d’artistes ou d’organismes dont le lieu de résidence ou de pratique artistique est sur le territoire de l’arrondissement de Ville-Marie et particulièrement ceux rattachés au territoire du Quartier culturel des Faubourgs.
• Initiatives qui mettent en valeur les artistes issus de la diversité culturelle ou de l’Autochtonie.
• Activités qui s’adressent à des clientèles traditionnellement éloignées de l’offre culturelle ou qui sont en lien avec la diversité capacitaire.
• Projets présentés à la place de la création.
• Propositions ayant un lien avec la transition écologique et ou la protection du vivant.

Application and self-identification forms must be completed online:

Forms:

• Application form – Category 1 - Artist, collectives and cultural NPOs
• Application form – Category 2 - community, sports and recreation NPOs
• Self-identification form

The following items must be sent by WeTransfer to [email protected]: 

• Your project budget*
• A plan, photo, and/or technical sheet of the project, if necessary. Your technical sheet can include technical requirements in terms of equipment and personnel, as well as the specific features of the show (use of water, special effects, etc.);
• For NPOs only: Letters patent in a single file.

* Accepted file types: image, video, audio, Word, PDF, Excel

Applications that are not complete by 5 p.m. on March 8 will be rejected

Do you need help writing or submitting your application or preparing your budget?

The Centre Sanaaq is holding a meeting to present the call for projects. You can find out more about the call, meet the members of the Centre’s participatory governance programming committee, and book a personalized support session.

Monday, February 9, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., in Room 1 of the Centre Sanaaq 

• 2 p.m.: Welcome
• 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Presentation and discussion
• 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Guided tour of the Centre Sanaaq 

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

This session is also open to people looking for artists, collectives, or organizations.

Couldn’t attend the February 9 information session?
You can have access to the presentation (french) from the meeting by contacting us.