Precarity and Collective Autonomy in Small-Scale Cultural Spaces: The Case of Le Cagibi

Based on the case of Le Cagibi (2008-2022), a former café-restaurant-community and venue space in Montréal's Mile End district, this conference will explore two key themes concerning small-scale cultural spaces in urban milieux.

First, we will explore the role that Le Cagibi played for artists, workers, and the local community, as well as the specific challenges they faced. This will enable us to examine attempts to create collective practices for autonomy in the face of precarity.

Secondly, the circumstances surrounding its closure will enable us to consider ways of engaging with the disappearance of such spaces that transcend nostalgia. Our aim is to defend a critical perspective that acknowledges the detrimental effects of gentrification on the sustainability of alternative artistic spaces, all the while avoiding being "against" urban and cultural change.

A seminar co-organized by the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment and the Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES-Concordia).