Nouveau Centre by Ivanhoe Cambridge presents :
GÉANTE!
July 4 to 14, at 6pm and 9:30pm (excluding Monday July 8)
GÉANTE
In 2024, it's a GÉANTE that proudly stands at the Esplanade PVM for the 15th edition of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE! The stage is set for a bold new creation by Les 7 Doigts de la main entitled GÉANTE!, starring 10-year-old krump prodigy Adeline Cruz (La France a un incroyable talent) in the title role.
An epic of feminine power conceived and directed by Gypsy Snider (Dear San Francisco, Réversible, Intersection, Amuse, Un Dia, Traces and Loft), GÉANTE! tells the story of a child raised by a village she will inherit one day. This young soul awakens, strong yet shaken by the weight of responsibility. Can we imagine for her a future where the earth flourishes and humanity flourishes respectfully and inclusively? Do the hopes and challenges of the world rest on her tiny shoulders?
At the heart of the colossal structure, daring acrobatics and vibrant choreography intertwine, embodying the energy, joy and ingenuity of the new generations. And, like a breath capable of sweeping the mountains, a little girl can touch the world, like a giant... Here's a brand-new, exclusive creation from Les 7 Doigts, featuring 13 high-caliber artists, who will compete in daring and dazzling feats from July 4 to 14!New this year, the Centre Eaton (July 6 and 13) will be illuminated by animation and circus performances.
A giant thank you to our private partners: Ivanhoe Cambridge, BDC, Québecor and SDC Montréal centre-ville for their support in the creation of GÉANTE!
Des GÉANTES
For a third summer, a GIANT will occupy the space in front of L'Anneau on the Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie, and for the first time, it's a GÉANTE!
In this spirit, we'd like to honor and celebrate the Géantes around us. Vibrant, inspiring, creative, unifying women who, each in their own way, contribute to the advancement of society, of Montreal, of Quebec.
They create, innovate, dare, mobilize, come from different sectors, with different profiles, from different generations and cultural backgrounds.
Let's salute the GIANTS who surround us! We would like to thank the companies who have agreed to join us: La Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins, BDC, Solotech and WSP Canada.
La Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins
The Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins salutes the GIANT WOMEN who are helping to shape Quebec's current social, environmental and financial landscape, with a view to building a fairer society. Why do we salute them? Over the years, the Caisse solidaire has become a powerful financial tool for transformative collective action for the common good. From its origins in the working-class world, it has extended its support to the women's, environmental, cultural and housing rights movements. Over the past 50 years, the Caisse solidaire has provided financial support for the deployment of very concrete projects led by GÉANTES. From the Bread and Roses March that led to pay equity legislation, to the creation of day-care centers, to the defense of women victims of domestic violence and organizations that empower the excluded, there are all those who give of themselves and give us the means. The Fight Against Inequality podcast presents the Caisse solidaire's commitment to the advancement of women in Québec.
WSP Canada
WSP could not have become such a leader in Canada and around the world without the contribution of the thousands of creative and committed women who contribute, project by project and in different sectors, to building a better and more inclusive future for all. We recognize them as Giants, worthy of the world we want.
Solotech
At Solotech, we pay tribute to our passionate, creative women who bring unique experiences to viewers through their expertise in audiovisual and technology. Whether it's a festival, audiovisual production, corporate event or other immersive installation, our women are at the heart of our 12,000 annual projects worldwide. We're delighted to support everyone in the creative industry who dares, innovates and mobilizes, bringing their own unique touch to the table.
BDC
"Offering entrepreneurs the same opportunities is non-negotiable for BDC. Whether through financing, coaching or our $500 million Excelles investment platform, we dream big. Our ambition is to support women-led businesses by giving them what they need to realize their vision, grow and have a lasting impact on the economy."
The story of a colossus
Who is this Giant? Where does it come from?
An original, large-scale project, part artistic endeavour and part touristic attraction, collective and festive, a trio of GIANTS came to life during the 13th edition of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE, in July 2022. The idea for these famous and impressive steel colossi was born when Tourisme Montréal launched a call for projects to revitalize the tourism and economic aspects of the pandemic-stricken downtown area. From then on, the Festival team pondered a concept in which the circus would be part of the revival.
The original idea for GÉANT came from Michel Laprise. A creative guide behind many of Cirque du Soleil's memorable shows and events, he wondered how the circus could come alive in downtown Montreal... What do they have in common? The circus, like downtown, brings together a large number of people in a limited space, encouraging the meeting of differences, cultures and classes, and heightening the intensity of emotions and the human experience. Also, nomadic circus traditions have their origins in the big top and its steel masts, the same steel that forms the structures of the bridges that connect the island of Montreal to its shores and bring visitors to its downtown core! Thus was born the idea of a steel GIANT, a 52-foot-high structure featuring an acrobatic arch, so that life, the circus and its prowess could inhabit it.
Once the concept had taken shape, set designer Michel Otis spent an entire autumn drawing hundreds of sketches of this GIANT, an immense human-like figure. Then, once we knew what it would look like, the team at Scène Éthique - the company behind Robert Lepage's Ring Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera, Cirque du Soleil's Kooza, Luzia et Kurios and Céline Dion's Taking Chances - got to work. Long months of research and engineering work (and ingenuity!) were required to create this impressive structure, capable of hosting circus performances as spectacular as they are safe, within a very tight schedule!
And it was with great pride that we saw the genius of Quebecers and Montrealers shine through at every stage of the design and construction of GÉANT, a stage structure unique in the world.
The GIANT
Painted steel structure
Giant weight: 31,000 lbs
Weight with stage: 48,000 lbs
Height: 52 feet
Width: 30 feet
Approximately 100,000 pounds of metal used to build the three giants.
Original idea: Michel Laprise
Scenic structure designer: Michel Otis
Acrobatic structure designer: Guy St-Amour
Executive Producer Les Géants : Nadine Marchand
Production Manager / Executive Producer TOHU : Pascale Bélanger
Technical Director : Olivier Brunet
Conceptualization and manufacturing: Scène Éthique
Giant structure engineering: gbi
Technical equipment engineering: WSP
And so, in July 2022, three majestic silhouettes will rise in Place Émilie-Gamelin, on the Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie and in Parc Vinet (near the Atwater market), inviting the public to join them as they host the exclusive, high-flying creations of prodigious Quebec circus companies: Cirque Éloize, Les 7 Doigts de la main and Machine de Cirque.
Actively contributing to the revitalization of downtown, these large-scale gatherings initiated by the circus community will draw in their wake restaurateurs, shopkeepers and office tower occupants, all invited to participate in their own way in this grandiose celebration. From east to west, at the foot of each GÉANT, isolation will be broken in a collaborative, playful and absolutely spectacular way!
Success surpassed expectations, and the crowds were impressed and won over. This trio of GÉANTS, the flagship event of Festival 2022, consolidated Montreal's position as the international capital of circus arts.
An expected return in 2023
Following this undeniable success, GÉANT returned the following year to the Esplanade PVM, a privileged location at the heart of the city's tourist, cultural and commercial life. It's in this emblematic Montreal location, with a breathtaking view of Mount Royal and the majestic Oval, set among the skyscrapers, that a new Cirque Éloize show directed by Benoit Landry (Après la nuit, Celeste, Serge Fiori, Seul Ensemble) unfolded. For 30 minutes, the audience was treated to a unique new experience, as the acrobats took hold of the GÉANT, climed it, suspended themselves from it and launched themselves from its summit, in a high-flying choreography demonstrating the full extent of their courage and talent.
