Montréal, Quebec, Canada

As ambassadors of Montreal's artistic vitality from the very beginning, Les 7 doigts de la main chose to set up shop in the former Musée Juste Pour Rire building because they are convinced that they are capable of personalizing this place, reviving it and reinventing it. For Les 7 doigts, the development of the Quartier des spectacles' signature and the influence beyond the city's borders that such a location confers are part of the building's assets.

Since their founding, Les 7 doigts de la main have been able to reconcile the ambition to realize the dreams of their founders with the modest means available to any young company. Budgetary, physical and temporal limits have stimulated and generated innovation and creation. These same limits have become obstacles. To maintain and develop its presence on the markets, to ensure its growth, to increase its influence, to face competition and to launch new projects, the company is entering a new stage of its development. As soon as possible, the company must bring together all its artistic, administrative and production activities under one roof. This creation and production center will allow the realization of shows, facilitate the maintenance of their quality, and serve as a daily training center for its artists. In addition, it will encourage the exploration of new forms and content. More specifically, Les 7 doigts de la main want:

- To have an adequate, autonomous and available space, corresponding to the specific needs of circus activities of training, maintenance, creation and production, artistic research and development, exploration of new contents and new forms;

- To bring together under one roof all of the components of the 7 doigts (artistic, administrative, production and technical) by facilitating and promoting constant meetings and exchanges between these components, thus increasing the efficiency of the collective;

- To reduce the costs (and wasted time) of services and expenses necessary for administration, creation and production, by rationalizing and optimizing all resources;

- To welcome in residence creators and performers associated with the 7 doigts de la main, in creation and production;

- To increase in qualitative and quantitative terms the means to make the operation more efficient in all its aspects;

- To ensure a sustainable development for the collective and its members by taking into account the difficulties and risks inherent to the practice of circus arts;

- To make possible a greater synergy between the different departments and services of the company through daily contact with creation and production and those who are involved;

- To ensure the continuity of the founding artists.

(From competition's documentation)

(Unofficial automated translation)