The Symposium is POP Montreal’s characteristically unique take on the music conference. Focusing on the relationships between music, art, culture, and creativity, the Symposium presents a series of dynamic conversations about pressing music-related issues, encouraging our community to build movements, strategize and develop new creative approaches. In the past, symposium events—which include workshops, conversations with icons new and old, panels and round table discussions—have been housed in the POP Quarters in the former Ecole des Beaux Arts de Montreal.

VISION

Aims to empower, educate and inspire while reflecting our city’s diverse and artistically charged culture. The Symposium brings together a range of the most interesting as well as important figures associated with music, in the broadest sense, offering intimate access to the ideas, tensions and forces at the heart of today’s music world.

HISTORY

Pop Montreal’s conference has gone through many transformations, from its early days as Pop and Politics, to hosting the Future of Music Coalition conference in 2006. In 2008, POP Montreal re-envisioned the traditional music conference format and launched the Symposium – a noisier-than-ever 5 day celebration of the creative process and hands-on learning. Its wild success was thanks to 100 speakers and collaborators and a glowing testament to the vibrancy of Montreal’s artistic community as well as that of our festival’s international audience.

The 2012 Symposium is running with this momentum delivering programming that matches the unique and open-hearted approach of years past. That means that we’ve designed all events with You in mind – music lover, artist, student, lawyer, writer, living legend, inventor, industry member, hungover festival goer.

Whether you are a person who loves music or a person who has chosen to make a life in music, you are invited to participate in the creation of a community network and skills base that will endure well beyond 5 days.