Trellis Micro-grants: Year 2 So Far
Attendees at Arundel United Church for the Arundel Community Choir’s first session. Photo credit: Fred Azeredo.
Montreal, September 3rd, 2025 — The second round of Trellis projects is progressing apace! We have an incredible lineup this year, from regional choirs to theatre festivals to art installations! Have a read below to learn about just a few of the remarkable works coming to life with the support of Trellis.
Arts Arundel has successfully completed the first session of its Arundel Community Choir initiative. The choir brought together the Anglophone town of Arundel and its Francophone neighbour Huberdeau for an energizing musical experience. The 40-strong choir, under the direction of experienced Montreal chorus leader Ailsa Pehi and with musical support from Guy Melhuish, met over several months to rehearse before putting on a performance at the Arundel United Church in July. ELAN was on hand to watch as nearly 60 audience members turned up to take in the joyous event—all told, over 20% of Arundel’s population was present! Classics like “California Dreamin’” were played, community members who had never sung before had their moment on stage, and a great time was had by all. The Community Choir will start back up in September, with several new members inspired by the performance joining its ranks!
Over in Cacouna, visual artist Joan Sullivan and musician James Darling’s multimedia piece Si j'étais un arbre has fascinated observers at the Église Saint Georges with its timely commentary on the wildfire crisis facing Canada. 15 enormous silk photo structures were hung from the ceiling to evoke a forest on fire, complemented by a haunting cello score. The bleakness of this very necessary message is offset by a Wishing Tree placed in the church which allows attendees to leave hopeful messages in English and French. The exhibit culminated in the tree being placed outside and the messages of hope being read out to bring their wishes for climate reconciliation a little closer to reality.
Joan Sullivan’s Si j'étais un arbre at the Église Saint Georges in Cacouna. Photo credit: Joan Sullivan.
We’d be remiss not to mention another project that’s wrapped up: Black Theatre Workshop’s ClubZed festival, a multi-day celebration of Black theatre-making. Black Canadian luminaries like Djanet Sears, Marcia Johnson, and Donna-Michelle St. Bernard spoke at various events throughout the festival, which also featured play readings of classics like The Other Side of the Game by Amanda Parris and new works such as Oro by Christine Rodriguez. Workshops for emerging theatre creators, taught by the likes of Leanna Brodie and Aki Matsushita, were also held, with record-setting attendance. To further inclusion, one whole day of the event was held entirely in French!
Here’s one that’s still yet to come: Dark Sky Preserve, a creation by musician Louise Campbell, visual artist Sarah Beth Goncarova, and the late spoken word artist Ian Ferrier, has found a home for its grand debut. Honouring Ian's great legacy, the reconstructed piece will take place, fittingly, at the outdoor venue with Montreal's darkest skies: the Bellevue Observatory at Morgan Arboretum, hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society. On October 4th at 7:00 PM (which just so happens to be International Observe the Moon Night), the full musical work, an extended meditation on humanity’s place in the universe, will be played through immersive speakers as attendees gaze up at the night sky. Bilingual readings will also be held, courtesy of QWF and La poésie partout. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind event!
Curious about other ongoing Trellis projects yet to begin? Check out our breakdown of all our recipients and their upcoming dates!