TAKE PART IN WORKSHOPS AND ACTIVITIES!
Discover the multitude of activities and workshops on the program for this 28th edition!
DANSE . MUSIC
+ EXCHANGE WITH ARTISTS
PUB IRLANDAIS SHACK D’AMÉRIQUE CARREFOUR MULTICULTUREL
PUB IRLANDAIS
Sunday, August 17
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Join Next Generation Leahy at a kitchen party (a celebration of Canadian Celtic music)
Join the Next Generation Leahy for a Canadian Celtic Kitchen Party. His musical style blends traditional Irish, Scottish and French music with French-Canadian dance steps. He invites you to come and listen, or bring an instrument and join in. The band will play and discuss how these different styles come together to create a fresh and original new sound.
The Pub irlandais is presented by Luc Fauteux
SHACK D’AMÉRIQUE
Thursday, August 14
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm: Swing Workshop by Swing Sherbrooke
The dancers of Swing Sherbrooke invite you to share the floor to the rhythms of boogie-woogie!
Saturday, August 16
3 pm to 4:15 pm: Podorythmy workshop with Michel Bordeleau
Hosted by Michel Bordeleau, founding member of Les Charbonniers de l’Enfer, Les Mononcles, former member of La Bottine souriante and Hommage aux Aînés. He is a multi-instrumentalist but above all a legend for Quebec podorythmie.
This friendly and humorous workshop is intended to be much lighter in its presentation than a regular music class. He introduces us to different rhythms through games and storytelling.
The Shack d’Amérique is presented by Publiforme
Stage
CARREFOUR MULTICULTUREL LOTO-QUÉBEC
Wednesday, August 13
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm: Collective creation to the rhythms of the marimba with Sara Curruchich
7:30 pm to 8:30 pm: History of urban dance and hip-hop with Studio A2
Discover the different styles of urban dance through a summary of the history of Hip-Hop! Dance styles, but also an overview of this culture which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023! A few steps with that?
Thursday, August 14
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm: La Boîte à Houti with Rabie Houti
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm: Togo percussion and traditional dance workshop with Balby Gadoh
Milawèlooo, Milawéa means “We’re going to do it together, whether there are several of us or just two of us”. It’s a rallying cry, a call to build together. Renowned for his generous performances, Balby Gadoh invites festival-goers from Sherbrooke and beyond to an energizing encounter to the sound of Togolese percussion.
Friday, August 15
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Discover the musical traditions of Eastern Europe with Polky
Join Polky for an engaging and interactive workshop exploring Eastern Europe’s vibrant folk music traditions! Led by a dynamic group of immigrant musicians, this session delves into Poland’s rich sounds, rhythms, dances, and beyond. Participants will learn traditional songs, vocal techniques, and unique rhythms while discovering rare folk instruments like the suka, an ancient Polish fiddle. Through storytelling, call-and-response singing, and hands-on participation, Polky brings Eastern European folk heritage to life in an accessible and fun way for all ages and musical backgrounds.
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm: Introduction to Andean music with The Imbayakunas
The band will teach how to play its music with indigenous instruments such as flutes and panpipes, and talk about the different types of music they have in their region.
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Introduction to Oriental music with Angham
This workshop is an introduction to Oriental music. The Montreal duo will review the types of music, the instruments, the various countries in the community, its musical background and a few excerpts. Everything you need to understand what shapes modern Oriental music!
Saturday, August 16
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Tango guitar workshop with Batimento dúo
The workshop proposes an approach to the musical interpretation of tango on the guitar. This proposal is based on the book Uruguayan Tangos. The workshop will address the interpretation of tango from the stylistic perspective of the genre, as well as the theme of arrangements linked to the instrumentation of traditional guitar ensembles.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm: Introduction to the music and dance of Brittany with Landat Moisson
A short tour of the songs to dance in Brittany (west and east parts) with the specificities of each of the terroirs (in breton langage and french).
Sunday, August 17
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm: Discover Cuban rhythms with Yordan & The Cuban Martinez Show
This workshop will introduce you to Cuban rhythms and their Afro-Cuban origins. From rumba and son to chachacha, guaracha and danzon, you’ll be invited to dance and play the rhythms with us.
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: Togo percussion and traditional dance workshop with Balby Gadoh
Milawèlooo, Milawéa means “We’re going to do it together, whether there are several of us or just two of us”. It’s a rallying cry, a call to build together.
Renowned for his generous performances, Balby Gadoh invites festival-goers from Sherbrooke and beyond to an energizing encounter to the sound of Togolese percussion.
The Carrefour Multiculturel is presented by Loto-Québec
PRÉAU
Wednesday, August 13
7:00 pm to 8:15 pm: Introductory Argentine Tango workshop with Tango Soul
Come take your first steps with an introductory Tango class as danced in the salons of Buenos Aires.
No dance experience required, with or without a partner.
Thursday, August 14
6:15 pm to 7:15 pm: Scandinavian dance workshop with Balfolk Sherbrooke
Friday, August 15
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Wine and cheese evening - SOLD OUT
Discover the subtle combinations of wine and cheese during this convivial evening of tasting!
A presentation by EXP
Saturday, August 16
Event Cancelled - 12:15pm to 1:00 pm: Percussion workshop: Rhythmic intercultural communication with the Service d'aide aux Néo-Canadiens
Event Cancelled - 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm: Percussion workshop: Rhythmic intercultural communication with the Service d'aide aux Néo-Canadiens
Sunday, August 17
Event Cancelled - 12:15pm to 1:00 pm: Percussion workshop: Rhythmic intercultural communication with the Service d'aide aux Néo-Canadiens
Event Cancelled - 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm: Percussion workshop: Rhythmic intercultural communication with the Service d'aide aux Néo-Canadiens
The Préau is presented by Carrefour de l’Estrie
espace orient
Sunday, August 17
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm: Oriental dessert tasting
Take a gourmet trip to the heart of the Orient with this tasting of traditional desserts. A sweet, convivial experience full of exotic flavors to share with friends and family.
Literary Area
ESPACE LITTÉRAIRE
Take part in fascinating encounters with Félix Morin and different writers and discover a selection of books from Librairie Appalaches!
This year, the following theme will be explored with each guest: The Right Place
Friday, August 15 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Interview with Rachida Azdouz
Psychologist, author, columnist and researcher at the Laboratoire de recherche en relations interculturelles. Her expertise lies more specifically in identity strategies and conflicts of values and rights, but she defines herself above all as an intellectual in the Sartrean sense: a person who enjoys a certain authority by virtue of her ease in her field of study and practice, and who takes the liberty of meddling in what does not concern her by pronouncing on the affairs of the city (extension of the field of combatting). In her case, she meddles more in formulating questions, clarifying issues and exploring a diversity of analytical grids than in providing answers and imposing a reading grid. A doubter who doubts aloud…
Saturday, August 16 | 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Interview with Mustapha Fahmi
Professor of English literature at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, where he was Vice-Rector for Teaching, Research and Creation from 2012 to 2017, Mustapha Fahmi is an internationally renowned Shakespeare specialist and author of several books and scholarly articles. He has lectured on Shakespeare all over the world, including at the renowned Shakespeare Institute in the UK, recognized as the temple of Shakespearean studies. Following the international success of his first two books published in French, La leçon de Rosalinde (two literary prizes, Philosophie Magazine’s choice of the month, among many other awards) and La promesse de Juliette (a literary prize in 2022), he returns with La beauté de Cléopâtre (2025).
Sunday, August 17 | 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm
Interview with Philippe Yong
Born in France to parents of Korean origin, Philippe Yong taught literature there before moving to Montreal eleven years ago. He currently teaches at Collège Stanislas. His first novel, Hors-sol, was published in 2022 by Mémoire d’encrier: well-received by critics, it was shortlisted for several literary prizes and won a special mention from the public at the Prix Senghor du premier roman. Les yeux clos, his second book, has just been published, again by Mémoire d’encrier.
CHAPITEAU RIVIÈRES DE LUMIÈRES
Théâtre des Petites Lanternes is back with its lantern-making workshops to get you ready for the 10th edition of the Rivières de Lumières festival. This year’s theme: The Faces!
Workshop schedule:
Wednesday and Thursday: 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Friday to Sunday: Noon to 7:00 pm
If you wish, you can bring your own DIY materials.
Voluntary contribution
Discover our program of over 90 shows!
