It Smells Like Organic Samosas in Here

Free Stuff at POP Montreal

Fringe ArtsRebecca Ugolini — Published September 18, 2012

After a summer of concerts and festivals, it seems unreal to balance tuition fees, textbook prices, food and rent all over again.

The weather is still nice, and there’s tons of fun around the city just begging to be had, so what’s a financially-challenged arts lover to do? POP has the answer with its diverse program of free activities ranging from arts fairs to
installations.

There’s enough variety to keep anyone from spending too much quality time with their textbooks this month, so check out just a few suggestions below.

Puces POP

Buyers beware—this isn’t your grandmother’s craft fair. Puces POP attracts the most creative crafters and craftiest creators, artists and artisans from Montreal and across Canada for one big arts bazaar love-in.

Puces POP Director Tessa Smith said the festival has blossomed since its debut in 2004, and now takes place three times a year and receives up to four times its capacity in vendor applications.

“It’s become a little hub for hand-made stuff in Montreal, in Quebec and really across Canada,” Smith said. “It collects so many different types of media in one place. You can see crochet headbands next to hand-made doughnuts, next to really high-quality leather goods.”

Puces—which means “fleas” in French, i.e. flea market—has got something for every budget, and features several free events, such as a Record Fair, a Fashion POP design contest for emerging designers, a Vintage POP bazaar, and a Lil’ Biz business seminar aimed at independent creators.

So, this fall ditch the mall, the inflated price tags and the oppressive big-retail atmosphere. Instead, go for something both affordable and uniquely Montreal.

Puces POP / St. Michael’s Church (105 St. Viateur St. W.) / Sept. 22 to Sept. 23 / 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

POP Symposium

If re-conditioning yourself to sitting in a lecture hall has got you down, the words ‘public symposium’ probably won’t free associate with ‘fun’ or ‘exciting.’

That’s where POP Symposium comes in.

It’s a series of music-oriented talks that run the gamut from artist discussions to DIY conferences geared to indie artists. With guests ranging from Venus X to Bertrand Burgalat and titles like Tango on the Asphalt: A Workshop on Reimagining Gypsy Music With Fanfare Ciocarlia, POP Symposium has something for everyone—for free!

Bye-Bye Boss!

Bye-Bye Boss! is one of several Symposium talks which helps independent musicians navigate the world of self-promotion, sales and making a living off music.

The free event presented by POP Symposium, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada and the Future of Music Coalition will feature guests like Chris Kaskie of the Pitchfork Music Festival and Kerri Cockrill, director of brand entertainment at Research in Motion.

Symposium co-coordinator Jared Leon said that, given Montreal’s great independent music scene, artist-driven programming was a guiding idea behind the Symposium and conferences like Bye-Bye Boss!

“When setting down the programming, I was thinking about what sorts of conversations needed to happen, but also which conversations would benefit an independent artist,” said Leon.

Bye-Bye Boss! / Sept. 20 / Quartiers Pop (3450 St. Urbain St.) / 3:00 p.m.

MMF Keynote: Jeannette Lee in Conversation with Vivien Goldman

U.K. punk pioneer Jeannette Lee and journalist Vivien Goldman come together to present a symposium on music and life, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans of punk music, music journalism and the history of women in music.

MMF Keynote / Sept. 22 / Quartiers Pop (3450 St. Urbain St.) / 4:15 p.m.