Digital Creativity
Axis Description
For this axis, digital creativity involves exploring the possibilities for developing and enriching the creative experience and facilitating the distribution of digital works. In this area, the Chair focuses on the animation and visual effects industries, video games and immersive experiences, to stimulate innovation, encourage artistic creation and foster the emergence of new forms of cultural expression.
The main objective of this axis is to identify crucial issues within the digital creative industries, particularly in the areas of effects (VFX), animation, video games and digital experience (Xn) sectors, in order to foster research, training and development in this sector.
Head
Laureline CHIAPELLO (Ph.d.)
4 Quebec Universities
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Caroline Bem, Université de Montréal
Caroline Bem holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies from McGill University. Since 2024, she is Assistant professor of comparative literature at Université de Montréal. Her research focuses on the materiality, ethics, and aesthetics of narrative media, which she examines through close engagements with film and video games in particular. Her current SSHRC-funded Insight-Development grant (2023-2026) explores the use of video games in building awareness and contributing to the prevention of gender and sexual violence and has yielded several exhibits of small games as well as one game jam and the development of a research-based breastfeeding game (“Nipple Quest”, in progress).
Her recent publications can be found in Screen, the Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, Cinémas (Presses de l’Université de Montréal), as well as Communication & langages (Presses Universitaires de France) and she is the co-editor, with Susanna Paasonen, of a special issue on play in the journal Sexualities (Sage) as well as the editor of “Cartographier (l’intermédialité)/Mapping (Intermediality),” the 15-year anniversary special issue of Intermédialités (Université de Montréal). Together with Rosanna Maule, she is also the co-editor of a forthcoming issue of Intermédialités which will be titled “Genrer (la réutilisation)/Engendering (Repurposing)” (Spring 2027). Her long-term book project, “The Diptych: A Moveable Form”, will offer the first detailed account of the diptych in the arts, book culture, and time-based media, as well as within philosophical and political systems of thought. A shorter book on gendered and technologized spectatorial encounters with both classical and contemporary films is also in the works.
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Mélanie Boucher, UQO
Mélanie Boucher is a researcher specializing in museology and art history, currently a full professor in both disciplines at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO). She is co-founder of the CIÉCO Research and Inquiry Group. In this capacity, she directs the research work of Axis 3 (the expanded collection) of the New Uses of Collections in Art Museums Partnership (SSHRC 2021-2028). At the same time, Mélanie Boucher holds the position of principal researcher with the Équipe Art et musée (FRQSC 2022-2026), a group of researchers, visual artists and exhibition designers from three Quebec universities. Her current research focuses on performative practices and their musealization, as well as on modes of exhibition and presentation induced by contemporary art. In 2023, she co-edited with M. Fraser and J. Lamoureux the book “Réinventer la collection : l’art et le musée au temps de l’évènementiel” (PUQ).
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Patrick Cohendet, HEC Montréal
Patrick Cohendet is professor at HEC Montréal in the International Business Department. His research interests include Economics of Creativity and Knowledge Management, Economics of Innovation, Theory of the firm, Economics of Knowledge. He is member of the Royal Society of Canada.
He is the author of 20 books and over 120 articles in refereed journals, such as Research Policy, Organization Science, Industrial and corporate Change, Journal of Economic Geography, Long Range Planning, etc. He was the supervisor of more than 80 Ph.D. He conducted a series of economic studies on the economics of innovation for different international organisations such as the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Space Agency or the Canadian Space Agency. He is co-director of the hub Mosaic at HEC Montréal on the management of innovation and creativity.
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Yan Breuleux, NAD-UQAC
Yan Breuleux is a Full Professor at the School of Digital Arts, Animation, and Design (NAD), Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC). A practitioner-researcher and visual artist working in the field of A/V performance, his work is grounded in a research-creation approach dedicated to visual music and immersive dispositifs, exploring the relationships between sound, image, and space. For over a decade, he has collaborated with musicians and composers on the creation of audiovisual works for multi-screen, panoramic, architectural projection, and full-dome (fulldome) environments. As part of the duo PURFORM, in collaboration with composer Alain Thibault, he has contributed to numerous immersive projects exploring the sensory, spatial, and performative dimensions of sound and image.
Grants
FRQSC
Chaire de recherche en économie créative et mieux-être (CREAT)
Role: Head of Digital Creativity Axis.
Value: $4,000,000 ($1,000,000/axis).
Duration: 2022-2023 to 2027-2028 (5 years).
Mais qu’est-ce que le fruit du mûrier? Valoriser et transmettre l’expérience vécue des femmes dans le processus de design de jeu vidéo.
Soutien à la recherche-création pour la relève professorale
Role : Principal researcher
Value : $44 723
Duration : 2022 à 2025
Attirer et retenir les talents en région pour favoriser l’entrepreneuriat innovant au Québec
PERSÉIS
Role: Collaborator (Principal researcher : Julie Bérubé, UQO)
Value : $380 627
Duration : 2023-2024 à 2025-2026
“En jeu pour la musique” – Jouer et cocréer pour apprendre la musique : retombées et innovations
Soutien aux équipes de recherche
Role: Co-researcher (Principal researcher : Francis Dubé, Université Laval).
Value: $269,612
CRSH
La collaboration interdisciplinaire dans les équipes de développement de jeux vidéo
INSIGHT
Role : Principal researcher
Value : $69 454
Duration : 2022 à 2024
Analyse comparée des transformations des activités de création par les technologies d’intelligence artificielle – adoption, usages et stratégies d’innovation
INSIGHT
Role : Collaborator (Principal researcher : Laurent Simon, HEC)
Value : $91 000
Duration : 2024 à 2026
HEXAGRAM
Hexagram réseau de recherche-création en arts, cultures et technologies
FRQSC – Regroupement stratégique
Co-researcher since 2023. Hexagram has received an additional $1,827,000 to cover seven years, from 2020 to 2027.
Publications
CAC (Proceedings)
Digital CreativityChiapello, L. (2023, 4 au 7 juillet). Bridging video games and ecology through systemic game design, [Conférence]. ISAGA International Simulation and Gaming Conference, La Rochelle, France.
Digital CreativityChiapello, L. (2022, 3 au 16 octobre). Systemic Design and Game Design: The equilibrium gameplay loop, [Conférence]. Relating Systems Thinking and Design (RSD11) Symposium Brighton, UK.
Digital CreativityChiapello, L., et Bousbaci, R. (2022, 25 juin au 3 juillet). It’s complicated: Dewey, Schön and reflection-in-action, [Conférence]. Design Research Society Conference 2022, Bilbao, Espagne.
Digital CreativityChiapello, L., & Dumitrache, I. (2022, 20 au 24 avril). From Analysis to Systemic Modelisation of Games: The Equilibrium Gameplay Loop, [Conférence]. Game Analysis Perspectives Conference, Copenhague, Danemark.
Projects Digital Creativity
Digital Creativity
14 October 2025
Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Video Game Development Teams
Collaborative Project with Dave Haway, Jocelyn Benoit, Maxime Deslongchamps-Gagnon, Edouard Raffis, and Alice Calixte.
News
19 February 2025
CREAT Research Chair at the ACFAS
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
17 February 2025
Call for papers – Special Issue
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
14 February 2025
Laureline Chiapello publishes an article in ACFAS Magazine
Digital Creativity
17 December 2024
Research notebook
Culture in the regions
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Discoverability
16 December 2024
Laureline CHIAPELLO co-directs a new collection at PUQ360
Digital Creativity
12 December 2024
HOMAGE AWARD presented to Michel Vallée
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
18 October 2024
Conference webcast Registration
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
16 September 2024
EDIA directory of the CREAT Chair
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
10 September 2024
Tribute Awards
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
Culture in the regions
Discoverability
EVENTS
20250814 – 28 August 2025
[ Entrée libre ]
Montréal
Digital CreativityCLTRS in the Hexagram selection at the Village Numérique of the MUTEK Festival
20260521 – 22 May 2026
[ Sur inscription ]
Montréal
Culture in the regions
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
DiscoverabilityCREAT Conference, May 21-22, 2026
20250929 – 29 September 2025
Montréal
Digital CreativityLaureline Chiapello at the Sommet de l’innovation en jeu vidéo
20250630 – 4 July 2025
Malta
Digital CreativityInternational and Local Reach of Research-Creation in Digital Creativity
20250324 – 31 March 2025
Montréal
Digital CreativityGame design to raise awareness and prevent gender-based and sexual violence
20250823 – 29 August 2025
[ Sur inscription ]
Séoul
The Digital Creativity stream at ISEA 2025
20250319 – 21 March 2025
France
Digital CreativityLaureline Chiapello presents her research at the CISC symposium in Toulouse
20250507 – 7 May 2025
[ Entrée libre ]
Montréal
Launch of “La culture en région: réussites et défis à relever” book
20250507 – 7 May 2025
Montréal
Arts and Health
Culture in the regions
Digital Creativity
DiscoverabilityInvitation to “Symphonie arctique — L’art et l’IA au service de l’écorésilience”
Digital CreativityDive into the heart of creation with LUDODROME!
20250114 – 11 March 2025
[ Upon registration ]
Online
Arts and Health
Culture in the regions
Digital Creativity
DiscoverabilitySeries of lunchtime conferences
20241104 – 6 November 2024
[ Sur inscription ]
Outaouais
Culture in the regions
Arts and Health
Digital Creativity
DiscoverabilityCREAT Conference, November 4–6, 2024
20240613 – 15 June 2024
Montréal
Laureline Chiapello at CIFFEL and CGSA Conferences in Montreal
20240531 – 12 June 2024
[ Free admission ]
Montréal
First edition of PRISE, Numeric Creativity Festival
20240611 – 12 June 2024
[ Free admission ]
Montréal, France
Digital CreativityArt Game Symposium and Exhibition 2024
20240531 – 4 June 2024
[ Entrée libre ]
Montréal
Digital CreativityCREAT Game Jam 2024
20240124 – 24 January 2024
France
Digital CreativityThe CREAT Research Chair in Montpellier
20231117 – 17 November 2023
Japan
Digital CreativityLaureline Chiapello, head of Digital Creativity Axis, presents the first demo of her video game on female pleasure, in Japan
20230511 – 12 May 2023
Montréal
Arts and Health
Culture in the regions
Digital Creativity
Discoverability90th ACFAS Congress: Mapping, mediating and promoting creative activity in Quebec for the well-being of citizens
Latest Podcasts & Videos
Episode 1 – The CREAT Chairheaders
17 February 2026
This episode features four interviews with the headers of the Research Chair in Creative Economy and Well-Being (CREAT). Learn more about their backgrounds, areas of interest, and research.
Reflections on Social Design
13 January 2026
Produced in the wake of the symposium Beyond Social Innovation: Social Design?, this podcast extends the discussions by giving a voice to invited guests. It offers a broader perspective on reflections surrounding social design and its role in addressing contemporary social, cultural, and environmental challenges.
Enjoy listening!
Music & Immigration project
7 January 2026
The Discoverability Axis supported the production of an outreach video related to the project Music & Immigration, an online cultural mapping initiative highlighting the musical practices of professional immigrant artists in Quebec.
The project is led by two CREAT members: Caroline Marcoux Gendron (UQAM), collaborator of the Discoverability Axis, and Guillaume Blum (ÉTS), Head of the Axis. It is part of ongoing research on the visibility and accessibility of cultural content.