New directions!

La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines announces a new shared general management structure as well as the appointment of a new Artistic Director, marking an important step in the organisation’s evolution.

Following a rigorous selection process, the board of directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of Fabien Marcil as Artistic Director and co-Executive Director. He joins Christiane Chaput, who has been appointed co-Executive Director while retaining her role as Administrative Director. Together they combine continuity with an openness to new perspectives, such skills providing a strong impetus for the organization’s future.

Fabien Marcil developed an extensive professional experience, starting his journey in 2014 at Brussels’s Kunstenfestivaldesarts, alongside Brazilian choreographer Marcelo Evelin. Upon returning to Montreal, he honed his expertise with institutions such as LA SERRE — arts vivants and its OFFTA festival, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, and the Festival TransAmériques before joining the National Arts Centre as Artistic Associate of the National Creation Fund. He adopts a critical approach to power dynamics and continually deepens his understanding of emerging practices as well as contemporary and queer aesthetics. With solid expertise in cultural management and programming, he will assume his new role at La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines on August 10, 2026. He is proud to continue his sustained commitment to singular artistic forms and to promote the transformative role of the arts in society:

“I see La Chapelle as a creation home dedicated to contemporary practices. More than just a venue, it’s a human-scale space where works converge, connect, transform, and come to life before audiences seeking transformative experiences. I’m excited to collaborate with the team, including Christiane, my new partner as co-Director, the artists, partners, and communities that gravitate around this iconic Montreal landmark. The performing arts have a tangible and immediate impact on us, and I want to contribute to making La Chapelle ever more welcoming and vibrant. Montreal is brimming with an alternative energy that I can’t wait to share with you.”

Initially a multidisciplinary performer with a background in dance, Christiane Chaput turned to arts administration in 1990. She took up the administrative management position offered to her by Richard Simas, when he founded the Théâtre La Chapelle, known today as La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines.

To start with, the team of only four employees enthusiastically set out to meet the pressing needs of early career creators. Initially a simple performance space available for hire, the theatre quickly evolved into its current role of supporting the creation of new work and presenting a curated season. Her tasks and responsibilities diversified and became more complex in response to the growing needs of the organization and its challenges.

She shares her journey and vision for the future in these words:

“I like to think that my artistic experience in various areas of the performing arts has made me the manager I am today, sensitive to the needs of artists and to the realities of the industry. I accept my appointment as a sign of recognition and appreciation for my contribution to this place that is so dear to me. Having worked closely with previous executive directors in all aspects of the role, this appointment nevertheless represents a new kind of collaboration for me, with fully shared responsibilities.

I look forward to this new era with Fabien. Our complementary strengths can only benefit
La Chapelle and the entire community. I see in this collaboration the spirit of continuity combined with the driving force of a new generation. In a way, I can anchor our shared vessel; while Fabien will be the sail that propels us toward new destinations.

Long live La Chapelle!”