History of Espace Sutton

Summary

In 2000, the organization Espace Sutton was born from an initiative by the friends of Théâtre Mandragore. The mission of this new organization was: "To raise public awareness of all artistic forms, to promote and support creative and performing arts in the disciplines of music, theater, dance, singing, video, and film."

Espace Sutton quickly forged its own identity by putting forward the Tableaux Vivants project in 2002. This project, being the spearhead of Espace Sutton, did not prevent the organization from fulfilling its mission by organizing and hosting several events that marked the socio-cultural landscape of Sutton. Furthermore, Espace Sutton gave birth to other organizations that have, in turn, marked the cultural life of our municipality, such as: Salle Alec et Gérard Pelletier (now Sutton Encore), Sutton en Blues, and the Traditional Fiddle Festival. Espace Sutton has also given many local and national artists the opportunity to perform on stage. Over the past 25 years, Espace Sutton has produced over 200 cultural events as part of ten major projects initiated and produced by the organization. For example, during the 2000s, Espace Sutton produced the Tableaux Vivants project, which alone generated 24 events. As for the 2010s, the organization of the Fête nationale du Québec in Sutton from 2012 to 2015 allowed our entire community to get involved and many local and national stage artists to charm and entertain the public with their performances. The 2010s also saw the realization of several festive events in the heart of the village, as well as the emergence of the Sutton Traditional Fiddle Festival and Balade et Melodie, a culture-nature project in partnership with PENS. More recently, the Sutton Public Piano was created in 2022, delighting citizens and tourists with daily access to the piano located in the heart of the village and several free concerts presented during the summer season.

In addition, Espace Sutton currently offers technical support and collaborates closely with municipal organizations such as, among others, D’Arts et de rêves, Sutton Jazz Festival, Musique et Traditions illimitées, the Sutton School of Art, the Sutton CAB, and also the factory of Saint-André de Sutton parish, whose "cult and culture" project will allow special accessibility of Saint-André church to the cultural community.

History of Espace Sutton from 2000 to 2026 in Stages

Originating from Mandragore, a theater established in Sutton in 1998, Espace Sutton was born in 2000. Founded by the owners and friends of Mandragore, the organization was originally named Mandragore & Cie and allowed the theater to benefit from public financial aid. The name Espace Sutton replaced Mandragore & Cie in 2002 after the owners left Sutton and the Board of Directors (CA) was reduced from 9 members to six, including three new ones. During this transition, the organization had to question and reinvent itself after losing its physical space and its core activity: the creation and distribution of plays.

A first reorientation

Under the presidency of Jean Sicotte, Espace Sutton moved toward producing shows that respected the non-profit's mission. From the first year, events such as Cabaret Zoom, Sutton en Jazz, and Tableaux Vivants were realized. This last project originated from an idea by one of the new administrators. She brought this concept from a production in Laguna Beach, California, which had been attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators annually for nearly 50 years. The first presentation of this event in Sutton was a great success and encouraged the administrators to repeat the experience the following year (2003) on a much larger scale. The scripting of a short play featuring 3 new scenes was entrusted to Ms. Andrée Pelletier. This presentation, where the actors were mostly children, drew criticism from some board members, causing a rift. The result was that, under the leadership of Ms. Pelletier and some Espace Sutton board members, Salle Alec et Gérard Pelletier was created. The president of ES set out to get Tableaux Vivants back on track in 2004, writing "Pourquoi créer," an hour-and-a-half play featuring professional actors supporting the presentation of 4 scenes, including 3 new ones. This show, presented under a large tent, was very well received by nearly 250 spectators. The experience was renewed in 2005 with the presentation of a new scene and 7 nights of shows under a tent with catering and musical entertainment, benefiting over 1,000 spectators. However, this final event produced an internal split between the president and certain artists or craftsmen, as well as board members. The president left the organization but kept Sutton en Blues, which he had started in 2002 and had been produced annually under the aegis of Espace Sutton.

2 - Follow-up Reflection

From then on, the orientation of the board was clearly focused on the production of Tableaux Vivants shows while respecting the general mission of the organization. Over the following three years, a succession of productions took place, always with Tableaux Vivants as the backdrop. The concern of acquiring a permanent location was also a primary concern for the administrators. This period ended with a final major presentation of a Tableaux Vivants show: "Le musée des Tableaux Vivants" in 2008. Subsequently, a "crossing of the desert" followed, marked only by the production of two events.

3 - Strategic Reflection 2011

A strategic reflection was organized in the fall of 2011 to decide on the organization's future based on its achievements. About twenty participants took part in this reflection, which resulted in guiding the development of Espace Sutton. The production of Tableaux Vivants shows under professional production conditions was unanimously desired by the participants, all while maintaining the organization of cultural events according to the mission.

This orientation generated 19 major events, including the very dynamic and participatory organization of the Fête nationale du Québec in Sutton from 2012 to 2015, the cultural animation of the Sutton Christmas Market during the same period, and various events during the summer season such as "Salade16arts," the "Festival de la Joie," the "Fête Villageoise," and the launch of the "Sutton Traditional Fiddle Festival." This renewal allowed Espace Sutton to regain its strength, be recognized as an essential organization in Sutton's cultural landscape, and replenish its coffers. However, the objective of developing the Tableaux Vivants axis was put on hold during this time and only reappeared in 2015 after participating in the Sutton School "Talent Show," for which Espace Sutton provided technical help to improve the gym's acoustics. This gave rise to the idea of using this hall, which could hold up to 400 people, to relaunch the Tableaux Vivants Project. This idea quickly became a priority. Espace Sutton preferred to invest in improving the school gym to have reasonable acoustics rather than taking on the risky challenge of building a mobile stage. This project was completed in 2016 with a budget of nearly $40,000, with participation from two school boards and Espace Sutton, which injected $16,500 from grants and its own funds.

4 - Strategic Reflection 2015-2016

After the Fête nationale in 2015, board members and a dozen heavily involved volunteers questioned the relevance of continuing to organize public festivals that exceeded the mission and were often more the responsibility of municipal services. The effort drained the energy of the board and the 100 volunteers involved. In 2015 and 2016, participants suggested that Espace Sutton highlight involvement in performing arts through workshops that would involve the local population in a "cultural mediation" approach. This was done without losing sight of the Tableaux Vivants show project. A Culture-Nature aspect was also introduced, stemming from the "Sutton Horizon 2035" reflection.

The inauguration of the gym with new acoustics coincided with a funding request for a major Tableaux Vivants show. The City of Sutton and the MRC asked for a demo and a business plan to ensure viability. A $16,000 "Workshops and Shows" project, including the demo, was accepted in 2016. The demo was completed, including a life-size reproduction of a Borduas painting (Joute dans l'Arc-en-Ciel Apache) measuring 10 by 12 feet. A business plan was developed, but the show itself required an investment of nearly $500,000, which reached $1,500,000 with the distribution plan. With the project supported by only one board member, it was eventually abandoned due to lack of other involvement. Subsequently, ES concentrated on the "culture-nature workshops."

The Balade et Melodie project was part of this development. An immersive experience combining lyrical singing and nature launched in 2019 under the initiative of Monique Picard. The goal was to allow people to experience classical singing in a natural environment. In 2020, the project rebounded after pandemic cancellations with twelve one-hour walks. These performances allowed 175 spectators to attend mini-recitals of high quality, confirming the potential of the event as a cultural and tourist draw.

5 - Post-Pandemic

Like everyone, Espace Sutton went through a critical period during the pandemic, during which its board was practically decimated, leaving only two valid administrators by spring 2022. A revival was carried out by these two administrators by recalling two former administrators. During a consultation with the city, officials confirmed Espace Sutton's importance and pointed to two ongoing projects that fit the mission: a public piano project initiated by Serge-André Jones and Ballet-Théâtre Sutton led by Dashiele Haskin.

In early November 2022, an AGM put the organization back on track. 2023 saw the birth of the first version of what would become the Sutton Public Piano in 2024. This period also allowed for a solid consolidation of the board and active participation in the "cult and culture" project of St-André Church. The 25th anniversary was celebrated on September 28, 2025, with a benefit concert featuring the Requiem by François Dompierre before an audience of over 420 spectators.

Written March 3, 2026

Roland Degani

Note: Roland Degani has been a board member of ES from 2005 to 2021 and has served as President-Treasurer from 2022 to the present.