Clothilde Cardinal Chairman of the CINARS Board of Directors

Bringing People Together for the Future of the Performing Arts

I am deeply grateful and excited to begin a new chapter as Chair of CINARS, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the organization’s history.

This appointment is, above all, an opportunity to recognize the strength of an organization built over more than 40 years by visionary leaders, artists, producers, presenters, partners, and dedicated teams whose collective efforts have made CINARS a key force in the international circulation of the performing arts.

My sincere thanks to the members of the Board of Directors for their confidence, to outgoing Chair Claude de Grandpré for his commitment and leadership, and to its actual Executive Director Gilles Doré and the entire CINARS team, whose expertise, passion, and dedication continue to advance our mission with ambition and excellence.

Founded by Alain Paré, CINARS has spent decades building lasting bridges between creators, markets, and audiences around the world. Through its work, thousands of artists and productions have crossed borders, helping showcase the richness, diversity, and excellence of our performing arts sector on the international stage.

As we look ahead to the 22th CINARS Biennale in November 26, the performing arts sector finds itself in a period of profound transformation. The spectre of global conflict, shifting geopolitical realities, environmental and economic challenges, evolving cultural habits, and the rapid acceleration of technology are reshaping the ways artistic works are created, presented, and shared across the world.

While these changes bring significant challenges, they also create new opportunities. They invite all of us to reflect, innovate, and strengthen the collaborations that enable artists and their work to continue reaching audiences across borders and cultures.

It is in this spirit that CINARS will embark in 2027 on a new strategic planning process. This will be a valuable opportunity to listen to the sector, foster dialogue, and collectively explore the most promising paths forward to support the continued development of the performing arts in a rapidly changing environment.

More than ever, our ability to bring people together, build bridges, and create meaningful connections will be essential. In a world marked by uncertainty, the arts remain one of the most powerful expressions of our shared humanity. They deepen mutual understanding, inspire imagination, and remind us that dialogue remains possible even when division seems to prevail.

CINARS has all the strengths needed to continue playing this catalytic role for the benefit of artists, cultural organizations, presenters, and audiences both at home and abroad.

Finally, sincere thanks to the governments of Quebec and Canada, the City of Montreal, our longstanding public partners, and to our private-sector partners for their continued trust and support.

Let’s get going, together.

Clothilde Cardinal

Chairwoman of the Board