Press Room

A delegation of 13 people from Eastern Quebec will travel to Aarhus, Denmark, on October 11, 2025 as part of the project “Vers un modèle organisationnel durable inspiré des musées nordiques.” The CREAT’s Culture in Regions head researcher, along with several members of the Chair, will take part in this mission, which aims to draw inspiration from Nordic practices—particularly in governance, resource sharing, and local engagement—to explore transformation strategies adapted to the realities of Quebec museums.

In a recent interview with Le Devoir, Kevin Galéry, Assistant Director of the AgeTeQ laboratory and coordinator of the Arts and Health axis, shared his reflections and data on promising approaches to slowing age-related cognitive decline. The article, titled “L’art, un moyen de prévenir le déclin cognitif”, highlights how artistic practices can serve as powerful tools to stimulate the brain and help preserve cognitive functions.

The Sainte-Amélie Church Museum in Baie-Comeau is benefiting from a fresh perspective thanks to the contribution of Roméo Martial Tapang, a doctoral student in Urban Studies at UQAM and recipient of a CREAT Chair scholarship. Following a stay on the Côte-Nord, Mr. Martial Tapang conducted a participatory strategic analysis in collaboration with the local community and the museum’s governing body. This initiative, led by CREAT’s Culture in the Regions axis, draws on citizen participation to identify the heritage, social, and cultural values associated with this emblematic site. The findings are compiled in a concrete report aimed at guiding the museum’s sustainable development while strengthening its community roots. Supported by Luc Foleu (UQAR) and Johanne Munger, president of the museum and advisor at UQAR, this project illustrates the strength of the alliance between research and on-the-ground practice.

Laureline Chiapello, professor at the École NAD-UQAC and lead of CREAT’s Digital Creativity Axis, was a guest on "C’est jamais pareil" to present CLTRS, an experimental video game exploring the female orgasm. Developed through a research-creation approach, "CLTRS" challenges video game conventions and explores new ways of representing and experiencing intimacy and femininity. This project creates spaces for dialogue around pleasure, the body, and the representation of sexualities in the digital arts.

Turning scientific data on melting ice and permafrost thaw into musical works: this is the premise of a project led by Professor Olivier Beauchet, head of the “Arts and Health” axis of the Research Chair in Creative Economy and Well-being (CREAT), FQR, secteur Société et culture. In June 2025, UdeMNouvelles published an article on this initiative, carried out in collaboration with geomorphologist Daniel Fortier (Université de Montréal) and several Inuit artists, including singer Joey Partridge and throat singers. Based on data collected over a 30-year period in Nunavik, the team used sonification techniques to create three original songs and a documentary titled “Réchauffement climatique et art inuit : l’expression artistique au service du sensible et de la transmission – ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐊᓯᑦᔨᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖓ / silaup asitjivallianinga.”This interdisciplinary project explores how art can activate emotional engagement to foster collective eco-resilience in the face of accelerating climate change in Northern Quebec.

What if our emotions were powerful allies in facing climate disruption?Following Colloquium 607 at the ACFAS conference, organized by the Arts and Health Axis, the David Suzuki Foundation published an article (French only) exploring how emotions like anger, sadness, and hope can become drivers of engagement. A must-read to help transform eco-anxiety into constructive action. Read the article: Le pouvoir des émotions face à la crise environnementale.

In a May 2025 interview on ICI Première about the documentary " À la lumière du soir" by Fernand Dansereau, Dr. Olivier Beauchet offered a scientific perspective on the connection between longevity, quality of life, and exposure to art. The presence of very elderly yet still active individuals in public spaces reflects a shift: these once-exceptional profiles are becoming increasingly common… and they are in much better health than they were twenty years ago!While their vitality cannot be attributed to any single form of art, Dr. Beauchet emphasizes a well-established fact: regular exposure to art and culture significantly improves life expectancy and overall health. According to him, the aesthetic experience—one that connects us to others, generates positive emotions, and nourishes our sensitivity—plays a crucial role in maintaining well-being in later life.

The "Symphonie arctique" project, supported by the CREAT Chair as part of an interaxis collaboration, transforms permafrost surveys in Nunavik into a contemporary sound work.A novel way of raising awareness of global warming through artistic creation.

Dr. Olivier Beauchet gave an interview to ICI Première following the release of results from a pilot project conducted in partnership with the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and Médecins francophones du Canada: prescribing museum visits as a tool for health promotion.This innovative program enables physicians to prescribe cultural outings to their patients, notably to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal. The project’s findings show that these visits help reduce anxiety and social isolation, while significantly improving participants’ well-being.This approach, grounded in the concept of social prescribing, seeks to integrate culture as a genuine therapeutic tool. Dr. Beauchet emphasizes the scientific rigor of the study, which supports the positive impact of aesthetic experiences on health. The success of the program is inspiring other cities and museums to implement similar initiatives.

Montreal, April 23, 2025 – As part of the 92nd ACFAS Conference, the Research Chair on Creative Economy and Well-Being (CREAT), funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Société et culture sector, invites researchers, artists, cultural professionals, students, and members of the public to three (3) scientific symposiums and two (2) social activities taking place from May 5 to 7, 2025, at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS Montréal).

Listen to the interview with Charlotte Gagnon, mezzo-soprano and Manager, Social Impact and Education at the Opéra de Montréal, as she presents "Écho des plantes", a project developed in close collaboration with the Espace pour la vie Montréal, the AgeTeq Lab, and the Arts and Health axis of CREAT. This unique initiative aims to raise awareness and engage the public around ecological challenges, by exploring the intersection of art, science, and the environment. One of its goals is to demonstrate how plant signals can be translated into music, creating a new kind of dialogue between humans and nature.

CREAT's Culture en région header gave a one-hour interview to Patrick Auguste of the program "Communautés croisées" on the theme of social innovation and diversity in Canada. The bilingual (French, English) program featured interesting exchanges on the Julie's Bérubé research projects.

Laureline Chiapello, header of Digital Creativity Axis, has published an article in the "Récits de recherche" section of the Magazine de l'ACFAS.In this article, she explores video game design through the prism of research-creation, highlighting the dynamics of collaboration between programmers, artists and designers, as well as the issues at stake in this complex process.

An article by Martine Letarte published on the "University Affairs" website raised a major question: is the survival of Francophone culture in jeopardy in the age of large-scale digital platforms?Two (2) members of CREAT’s Discoverability Axis, Guillaume Blum and Destiny Tchéhouali, share their complementary analyses of the challenges and solutions to reverse the trend.From the biased impact of algorithms to the domination of major platforms such as Spotify and Netflix, the article explores how Francophone culture can resist in this globalized environment. The researchers present concrete avenues to be explored: fair algorithms, adapted laws, and better valorization of local content.

Following Julie Bérubé’s interview, this article highlights the economic challenges facing Toronto galleries and the solutions they are considering to ensure their survival.

Simple virtual museum visits, during which people are exposed to art, have a direct and positive effect on their health… (…)

In this edition, Guillaume Blum, head of the Discoverability Axis, is interviewed by Alec Castonguay about the MAC's 40th anniversary.

Visiting a museum or spending time in nature can, according to some studies, improve our physical and mental health. These visits can now be prescribed by a doctor through the Prescri-Nature program. Listen to Dr. Olivier Beauchet, full professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, about these benefits.

More and more studies are showing the benefits of museums for mental and physical health. So much that some doctors are prescribing visits to their patients. “Art that feels good, art therapy, has been around for a very long time,” says Olivier Beauchet, full professor in the Department of Medicine at the Université de Montréal.

The Gala de l'ADISQ is coming up for the great celebration of Quebec music: awards, laughter and controversy will be on the menu, as they are every year. And we won't forget to highlight the successes and fears of the industry: a record number of Quebec titles released, a record year in terms of financial spin-offs, but always the ever-present fear that the ship is sinking. Only 8% of the music listened to on platforms in Quebec is French-language, and only 5% comes from Quebec. So whose fault is it?

A study led by Professor Olivier Beauchet of UdeM's Faculty of Medicine shows that museums could play a role in maintaining the physical health of the elderly.