THE GENESIS OF A TRANSFORMATION PROJECT

Since 2007, Les Sages Fous have set up their workshop in the parish hall adjacent to Saint-James church. This inspiring creative space, located in Vieux-Trois-Rivières, has placed Les Sages Fous at the heart of their adopted city. Over the years, it has become the headquarters for the company's events.

PROBLEMS
- Lack of space for all the company's activities
- Inadequate facilities and spaces for creation are inadequate
- Les Sages Fous are cramped and their development is hampered.

Setting up a cultural infrastructure project isn't like putting on a show! It's a lot of behind-the-scenes work, coordination, constant vigilance, drafting of texts, budgets and schedules, multiple working meetings with architects, engineers, surveyors, scenographers and acousticians. There are also archaeologists, lawyers and notaries!

Thousands of pages of files, appendices and addendums! Studies, permits and lots of waiting! A lot of stress and urgency to deal with...

It's been an arduous road for our little company. We were often far from the joy of creation, but this building bewitched us and its promise gave us courage.

2016 - 2017
START OF THE PROJECT

Meetings are organized to bring together the local players involved in this project and to explore funding possibilities to enable Les Sages Fous to create a unique, unusual venue.

2018
DEFINITION

From the outset of the project, the hiring of a cultural consultant proved to be a decisive step in the project's success.

The year 2018 was devoted to a process of project definition, identification of issues, evaluation and proposal of models, professional coaching, fundraising and resource management, with the aim of producing the documents required to submit a project to the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications (MCCQ) and Heritage Canada (PCH).

To ensure the success of this project, Les Sages Fous put in place an effective support structure to provide professional guidance at every stage.

This involved a particularly intense mobilization of the Les Sages Fous team!

2018 à 2021
PREFIGURATION

Even before embarking on the renovations, and despite minimal technical facilities, we were able to “play” with the building. We presented international and national compagnies to local audiences, gave workshops and hosted residencies.

This was an opportunity to validate the project's main directions and perfect our ideas!

2019
FUNDING

A working team is formed to produce all the documents required to obtain funding for the project from the City of Trois-Rivières, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec and Canadian Heritage.

The working team consults regularly with its partners, and constant communication is established to bring the project to a successful conclusion.

The drafting of a PFS (an architectural document clarifying functions and feasibility) finally enables the project to be submitted to the Ministère de la Culture du Québec, and its acceptance marks the start of the official funding process.

2020
PRINCIPLE AGREEMENT

The Ministère de la Culture et des Communications grants $4.8 million for the Fabrique de théâtre insolite project.
Pictured here is Jacob Brindamour, General Manager and South Miller, artistic director of Les Sages Fous.

Pictured here are Jacob Brindamour, General Manager of Les Sages Fous, Nathalie Roy, Minister of Culture and Communications, Jean Lamarche, Mayor of Trois-Rivières, and South Miller, Artistic Director of Les Sages Fous (photo: SYLVAIN MAYER).

2020
TECHNICAL FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM

Following MCC's agreement in principle, we hired Strategia Conseil, a project management consulting firm with extensive experience in transforming heritage buildings.

We then put together a seasoned team to carry out the Functional and Technical Program (FTP), the construction program.

The renowned architectural firm Chevalier Morales was hired to steer the PFT, surrounded by experienced professionals (acousticians, scenographers, an archaeologist and four engineering disciplines).

It was with this wonderful team that we drafted the PFT for the Fabrique de théâtre insolite. This document was produced as an integrated design process, with each stage validated by the MCC Regional Office, the Capital Assets Office and the Heritage Office.

2021
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The announcement of a federal grant officially closes the financing package for the Fabrique de théâtre insolite des Sages Fous.

Present at the announcement were, from left to right: Sylvain Longpré, technical director of Les Sages Fous, Trois-Rivières mayor Jean Lamarche, Anne-Marie Lafontaine of Les Sages Fous' board of directors, Stella Montreuil, president of Culture Trois-Rivières, and Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault.

2021
PLANS AND QUOTATIONS

- Over 400 hours of meetings with the design team: architects (Chevalier Morales); electromechanical engineers (Pageau Morel), Structural (GeniMac), Civil (Gravitaire), Acoustics (WSP), Scenography (Mario Brien), Archaeology (Artefactuel), Project Management (Strategia Conseil)

- Hundreds of hours reviewing plans, specifications, agreements, contracts, etc.

- Finalization of financial package with all partners (City of Trois-Rivières, MCC, PCH, Culture Trois-Rivières)

- Negotiation of financial agreements with the Royal Bank / Investissement Québec

- Start of work with the Arts in Architecture Committee

- Exploratory openings everywhere (dozens of holes!)

- 3D digitization of the entire building by IScan3D

- Artefactuel explores archaeological potential

- Start of the big move

2022
START OF CONSTRUCTION

A press conference is held to officially announce the start of construction. Public tours are also organized to give the public a last look before the big transformation.

Pictured here are Stella Montreuil, President of Culture Trois-Rivières, Les Sages Fous (Sylvain Longpré, Technical Director, Jacob Brindamour, General Manager and south Miller, Artistic Director) and Jean Boulet, MNA for Trois-Rivières, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration, Minister responsible for the Mauricie region.

2022
CHANTIER

The culmination of the project involved several calls for tender to find the contractors who would turn our wildest ideas into reality!
Therrien entrepreneur as commissioned to carry out the construction work, while the various stage and design mandates were awarded to Solotech, XYZ technologie culturelle and ProScène Dauphinais.

2023
END OF WORKS

Throughout the project, heritage, archaeological, structural and scenographic aspects were tackled with agility by the professionals and contractors, who all worked with heart and concern for a job well done.
There's still a lot left to do! Material purchasing, finishing touches, training for the equipement, and the final report, but we can finally see the end of the tunnel!

2024
OPENING

After seven years of hard work, our ambitious project dedicated to the creative process in puppetry will see the light of day in winter 2023 - 2024.

After traveling the world with our fairground shows, we'll finally have a venue that gives us a year-round, local and sustainable presence in our town and region.

We'll be able to give local audiences the full benefit of all the contacts, networks and knowledge we've acquired over two decades of international presence.

This cultural infrastructure project is made possible through the financial support of Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec,
Canadian Heritage, Ville de Trois-Rivières and Culture Trois-Rivières.

2016 - 2017START OF THE PROJECT

Meetings are organized to bring together the local players involved in this project and to explore funding possibilities to enable Les Sages Fous to create a unique, unusual venue.

2018 DEFINITION

To ensure the success of this project, Les Sages Fous put in place an effective support structure to provide professional guidance at every stage. This involved a particularly intense mobilization of the Les Sages Fous team!

2018 à 2021 PREFIGURATION

2019FUNDING

2020 PRINCIPLE AGREEMENT

The Ministère de la Culture et des Communications grants $4.8 million for the Fabrique de théâtre insolite project.Pictured here is Jacob Brindamour, General Manager and South Miller, artistic director of Les Sages Fous.

2020TECHNICAL FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM

Following MCC's agreement in principle, we hired Strategia Conseil, a project management consulting firm with extensive experience in transforming heritage buildings.We then put together a seasoned team to carry out the Functional and Technical Program (FTP), the construction program.

2021 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT