Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant

The Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant (CVPV), commonly known as ès TRAD, is a non-profit organization based in Québec City, Canada, dedicated to the promotion, development and transmission of living intangible cultural heritage. Its fields of activity are song, music, traditional dance, storytelling and artisanal know-how. Founded in 1981 under the name Les Danseries de Québec by Danielle Martineau, the organization was renamed Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant in 1986 and has since become a regional hub for traditional arts in the Québec City area. The organization's mission is to create spaces for creation, production, transmission and mediation for professional artists, amateur practitioners and the general public. Its activities pursue five objectives: sharing an evolving vision of living heritage as part of the Quebec cultural landscape; acting as a regional showcase for various artistic disciplines; enabling the dynamic expression of traditions; fostering intercultural and interdisciplinary encounters so that traditional arts can serve as vectors of integration and social cohesion while supporting the direct transmission of knowledge and skills; and contributing to the appreciation of living heritage among intergenerational and intercultural audiences. ès TRAD is known for several recurring projects. Since 1981 it has presented a monthly series of traditional dance veillées where novices and experienced dancers meet. Since 1991 it has organized the Rendez-vous ès TRAD festival each Thanksgiving, bringing together generations in celebration of living traditions. The festival takes place in the vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier in the Petit-Champlain district of Québec City. The organization also runs Les p'tits rendez-vous ès TRAD, a series of shows offered between September and April, and L'Atelier du patrimoine vivant, which presents the work of artisans in various crafts during the summer in the same vaults since 1994 or 1995. Cap ès TRAD is a radio show devoted to traditional music and living heritage broadcast on CKRL-FM in Québec City. In addition to these flagship activities, the CVPV carries out numerous outreach and mediation projects with schools and partners, including the Ville de Québec and the Musée de la civilisation de Québec. It offers animation services for schools, tourism and custom group events, and has presented animations for organizations such as the Carnaval de Québec, the Monastère des Augustines, the MRC de l'île d'Orléans, the Coopérative du Quartier Petit Champlain, the Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France, Artefact urbain, the Organization of World Heritage Cities (UNESCO) and many primary and secondary schools in the greater Québec City region. The organization is also listed among Quebec NGOs partnering with UNESCO in connection with the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The CVPV operates as a non-profit organization (organisme sans but lucratif) and is based in Québec City. Its website, cvpv.net, serves as a portal for its activities, including upcoming events, the Porter la tradition podcast (balado), master classes, workshops for new and expecting parents, cafés-rencontres for seniors, and the Rendez-vous ès TRAD festival. The organization continues to be active in the cultural life of Quebec, with programming extending into 2026 and beyond.

The Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant was founded in 1981 in Québec City by Danielle Martineau under the name Les Danseries de Québec, with the aim of promoting traditional music and dance. On September 18, 1986, a public event was held at L'Anglicane in Lévis, during which two cassettes of Quebec traditional music were launched: Les Danseries de Québec... de l'autre bord de l'eau (following an earlier cassette titled Les danseries de la Belle Province) and another featuring André Alain, a fiddler from Saint-Basile in the Portneuf region. At the same event, a general assembly was held and the organization changed its name to Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant, a name deemed better suited to its mandates and objectives. In 1987, the organization, then led by Lisa Ornstein, faced financial difficulties. The Quebec government's Law on cultural property seemed to consider only tangible heritage and to exclude intangible cultural heritage. The government program "Connaissance et animation du patrimoine," which significantly funded the organization, was abolished. The Centre lacked funds to operate; Lisa Ornstein resigned as general director. Alyne Lebel, president of the Patrimoine/Histoire table of the Conseil de la culture de la région de Québec, and Lisa Ornstein wrote an open letter in the newspaper Le Soleil denouncing the absence of a policy on intangible heritage within the Ministère des Affaires culturelles. In the 1990s, the organization continued its activities. On December 7, 8 and 9, 1990, it organized a gathering of fiddlers and storytellers at the Théâtre Petit Champlain and the Domaine de Maizerets. Notable artists such as Nathalie MacMaster and Gervais Lessard performed, with Michel Faubert responsible for programming. Traditional dance and music evenings continued; for example, on March 16, 1991, an evening at the Domaine de Maizerets brought together Réjean Lizotte on accordion, Joseph Pelletier on violin, Denis Pépin on piano and Pierre Chartrand as host. In June 1992, the first États généraux du patrimoine vivant au Québec took place, gathering representatives from all regions of Quebec to discuss issues surrounding the province's intangible cultural heritage. A few months earlier, the Centre announced a series of initiatives: conferences with figures such as Jean Duberger, André Gladu and Breda Pavlič (a UNESCO representative), as well as excursions to municipalities such as Sainte-Agathe-de-Lotbinière, Saint-Sylvestre and Île d'Orléans to discover regional traditional dances. The organization was then led by Jean-Pierre Chénard. The first edition of the Festival international des arts traditionnels was held in December 1991, with shows at the Théâtre Petit-Champlain, the Institut canadien and the bar-spectacles Le D'Auteuil. The following year, the festival took the theme "présence francophone en Amérique" and welcomed artists from Cape Breton, Louisiana and Quebec. In 1995, one of the first editions of "l'Atelier du patrimoine" took place at the maison Bruneau-Rageot-Drapeau on Place Royale in Québec City, where craft practitioners presented their work, including hat-maker Mireille Racine, who had won the first prize at the Concours international du Musée du chapeau de Chazelle-sur-Lyon in France. The vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier hosted artisans each summer. In 2001, the Centre officially moved into the vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier in the Petit-Champlain district of Québec City. In 2008, the Festival international des arts traditionnels was renamed "Les Rendez-vous ès Trad." The group Les Chauffeurs à pieds performed there to celebrate its 10th anniversary, and other groups such as Le Vent du Nord also took part. In 2010, Les P'tits rendez-vous ès TRAD were launched. The organization has continued to present its monthly dance veillées, the annual Rendez-vous ès TRAD festival, the Atelier du patrimoine vivant, and the Cap ès TRAD radio show on CKRL-FM. It also produces the podcast Porter la tradition, now in its fourth season, and offers animation services for schools, tourism and custom events. The CVPV is listed among Quebec NGOs partnering with UNESCO in connection with the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• 2010

  Les P'tits rendez-vous ès TRAD launched.

• 2008

  Festival international des arts traditionnels renamed Les Rendez-vous ès Trad.

• 2001

  Officially moves into the vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier in Petit-Champlain, Québec City.

• 1995

  One of the first editions of L'Atelier du patrimoine held at maison Bruneau-Rageot-Drapeau, Place Royale.

• 1992

  First États généraux du patrimoine vivant au Québec held in June.

• 1991

  First edition of the Festival international des arts traditionnels in December; monthly dance veillées continue.

• 1990

  Gathering of fiddlers and storytellers at Théâtre Petit Champlain and Domaine de Maizerets, December 7–9.

• 1987

  Financial difficulties; director Lisa Ornstein resigns; open letter denounces lack of intangible heritage policy.

• 1986

  Renamed Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivant at a public event in Lévis on September 18.

• 1981

  Founded as Les Danseries de Québec by Danielle Martineau in Québec City.

A regional hub and non-profit organization for the promotion, transmission and celebration of Quebec's living intangible cultural heritage, working with professional artists, amateur practitioners, schools, tourists and the general public.

• Rendez-vous ès TRAD festival

  Annual festival of shows, training, conferences and special activities such as singing hikes, dance veillées and storytelling evenings, held each Thanksgiving in the vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier.

• Les p'tits rendez-vous ès TRAD

  Series of shows offered between September and April.

• L'Atelier du patrimoine vivant

  Summer presentation of the work of artisans from various crafts in the vaults of Maison Jean-Baptiste-Chevalier since 1994 or 1995.

• Cap ès TRAD

  Radio show devoted to traditional music and living heritage broadcast on CKRL-FM in Québec City.

• Porter la tradition podcast

  Podcast meeting tradition bearers; fourth season on traditional dance.

• Animation services

  Participatory activities around song, dance, music, storytelling and artisanal know-how for schools, tourism and custom group events.

1. 1CVPV | ès Tradcvpv.net
2. 2À propos | CVPVcvpv.net
3. 3À propos | CVPVcvpv.net
4. 4Services d’animation | CVPVcvpv.net
5. 5Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivantwikidata.org
6. 6Centre de valorisation du patrimoine vivantfr.wikipedia.org