Originally from Sept-Iles, Olivier began dancing with the folk ensemble Tam ti Delam. Alongside his studies in architecture, his curiosity for world dances led him to pursue a professional artistic career, specializing in Quebecois step dance since 2008. He has traveled the world with the performance company Zeugma and joined the BIGICO movement as a choreographer and interpret. Through this organization, he has also been involved in video art for over a decade. He has worked on various projects that have taken him from capturing performances to music videos, as well as short and feature films. He engages in multiple projects that combine dance and technology, developing a choreographic style that is resolutely focused on the digital realm. He created a solo piece titled “Redevenir,” which intertwines gigue and video projection. 

Pia Baltazar is an intermedia composer, undisciplinary researcher and directress of arts-sciences development at the Society for Arts and Technology of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). 

With a triple training in engineering, art philosophy and musical composition, her artistic and technological research approach has been developing for over twenty years at the intersection of interactive design and artistic production. She is particularly interested in the creative possibilities of encounters between the senses (vision, hearing, touch...) and in the embodiment of the creative process. 

In her role as Directress of Arts & Science Development at SAT, she is responsible for developing innovative collaborations and partnerships with the local and international artistic and academic communities. She is also responsible for ensuring liaison and synergy between SAT's research center and creation center. 

Emmanuel is the Director of Development and Innovation at the HUPR Research Center, whose mission is to advance human potential and the performing arts. He began his career as a circus artist on the streets of Quebec before pursuing a wide range of artistic projects. Alongside his artistic work, he has developed several social action projects, using his creativity as a tool for human development. For more than 20 years, he traveled the world as a trainer with the Cirque du Soleil’s social action program, Cirque du Monde. Over the years, he has held various roles within the organization, including Head of Training Program and Head of Public Affairs and Social Responsibility. Emmanuel has had the opportunity to gain unique experience by collaborating with organizations, trainers, and artists who drive social change around the world through innovative approaches. He later transferred his experience and pedagogical approach to training managers and leaders, notably at Air Transat. He then joined CRITAC, the Research, Innovation, and Transfer Center for Circus Arts, which recently became the HUPR Center, affiliated with the National Circus School.  

Sarah Bronsard is a choreographer and multidisciplinary artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. She finds her most fertile ground in flamenco dance and on the contemporary dance scene, after an artistic journey including music, glass blowing, digital arts and a career as a painter. In her projects, she is interested in the fertile tension of the “between” which reveals itself between bodily states, between beings, between artistic disciplines and between traditions. She prioritizes co-creations with artists of diverse practices; settling into this space “between” requires mutual listening and a surrender to instability which allows to find a new and fertile balance together. Her choreographic projects have been presented in Canada, Europe (France, Wales, Italy, Netherlands), Morocco and Japan. In spring 2024, she presents L’écho des racines a choreography combining flamenco and Quebec step dancing in the company of eight musicians and dancers, as well as Les Rigoles, a co-creation with the singer Alexandra Templier around the laughter phenomenon. 

Flavio Cardellicchio holds the position of Digital Development Manager for the Regroupement québécois de la Danse, where he works on developing a digital strategy for the organization and its deployment. Responsible for establishing new strategic partnerships and innovative collaborations with players in the technology industry, Flavio aims to expand networking opportunities between dance and performing arts professionals, players in digital cultural events and private companies specializing in information and communication technologies, computing and immersive technologies.   

At the same time, he assumes the role of Digital Development Agent (ADN) for the dance sector. Thanks to a program of the MCC, CALQ, and SODEC, he is one of 52 digital cultural development agents hired within the most important cultural organizations in Quebec. 

His recent doctoral work Challenges of a Participative Digital Exhibition supported as part of the doctoral program in Museology, Mediation and Heritage at UQAM, has enabled her to obtain various lectureships in digital museology at UQAM and UQO, as well as several government awards and financial support, notably for applied research (FRQSC, MITACS). 

A pivotal figure in Quebec’s circus history and a highly accomplished contemporary artist, Isabelle Chassé entered the National Circus School of Montreal as a child. She is among a group of core artists who contributed to the success of Cirque du Soleil. The recipient of numerous awards, including the gold medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris and at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, Isabelle toured internationally from a young age, performing hundreds of shows with an innovative and dynamic contortion quartet. 

As a young adult, she left a mark with her memorable performance on the aerial Tissu in Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam. Isabelle has also participated in several film projects including the film Martyrs and the Grammy-nominated short film Satie and Suzanne. 

A co-founder of The 7 Fingers, Isabelle co-directed and performed in Loft, La Vie, and Temporel. She also co-directed Vice & Vertu and the third segment of Tryptique as well as the movie Out of Order. She served as assistant director on Passengers, Reversible, Amuse, and Psy, and was a collaborating artist in the Fibonacci Project on multiple occasions. 

In 2015, Isabelle co-directed the acrobatic performances of Moby Dick, directed by Dominic Champagne. In 2018, she created Cubes au Carré for the City of Montreal, which was later brought back in 2020 in Montreal and again in 2021 at the St. John's Circus Fest. Isabelle directed one of the first post-COVID events open to the public, Summer Tale, programmed in Toronto in 2021. In 2019, Isabelle worked on the staging of Soul of the Ocean with Moment Factory for the Ocean Park in Hong Kong. In 2022, she co-directed the show on one of the three Giants at the Montreal Complètement Cirque Festival. In 2023, Isabelle created Éclats, a tailor-made show presented at La Malbaie Casino in Quebec and recreated in 2024 for Tremblant Casino. 

Marion Cossin is a research engineer at the HUPR Research Center (previously called Centre de recherche, d'innovation et de transfert en arts du cirque - CRITAC) in Montreal. She holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Université de Montréal and a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Polytechnique Montréal. Her research focuses on the design of new circus equipment, digital integration in the performing arts and performance enhancement. 

With over 35 years of experience and success in the performing arts industry working as a creator and creative manager, Richard has been involved in creating international live shows, both in permanent and touring venues, corporate and touristic events, FEC’s and theme parks. He is well versed in leading different styles of creative processes and successfully guide teams to overcome complex challenges. 

Born and raised in Montreal, Richard’s decade-long dance career with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet gave him the chance to travel the world and work with some of the best choreographers in the industry, honing his artistic skills. After 18 years working with Cirque du Soleil as head of auditions, senior artistic director and senior creative director, and a year in Dubai working on Franco Dragone’s La Perle, he joined the live entertainment leader that is Cirque Eloize as its Senior Director of Creation.  

Laurence is a feminist creator who is interested in the notion of hybridity between forms and who claims the right not to be an expert in anything. She likes to think of innovative ways to stage content that is strongly rooted in reality and to create engaging experiences for an ever changing audience. 
 
some of her noteworthy creative work include: the collective creation iShow which she co-directed and her stage adaptation of the sound documentary Aalaapi, a production that won the CTDA Playwrighting Award and was a finalist for the Governor General's Awards. She also co-created and Si jamais vous nous écoutez and Siri, directed the generative music show Lumens Game by Video Phase as well as her show Cyclorama, a bilingual documentary pilgrimage that she also wrote and performed in. Laurence is often invited to conferences that question the use A.I. and science in the creation of new artistic works. 

Matthieu J. Gagnon is the Digital Development Coordinator at En Piste, the national circus arts alliance. He creates opportunities for artists and organizations to embrace emerging technologies, explore creative tools, and  develop digital practices tailored to their needs. Matthieu led En Piste’s Chantier numérique – a training and networking event introducing technology into circus arts practices through interactive and engaging workshops. Responding to a growing demand for technological skills, he has conducted consultations to support the sector's digital transition. Promoting collaboration and innovation, Matthieu supports En Piste's digital transition by leveraging his expertise in communication, project management, and training. His vision, a blend of pragmatism and creativity, amplifies the visibility of circus arts in Canada. 

Lisa Jamhoury est une artiste du mouvement et une programmeuse libano-américaine qui crée des expériences numériques incarnées. Enracinée dans le cirque contemporain et la pleine conscience, sa pratique comprend des performances interactives, des installations et des sites web qui encouragent une approche de la physicalité humaine basée sur le consensus et la célébration. 

Ses performances en tant qu’acrobate aérienne et chorégraphe ont été vues à travers les États-Unis et incluent des commandites pour le Streb Lab for Action Mechanics et TEDx Brooklyn. 

Son travail comme programmeuse a été reconnu par Ars Electronica Concrete House, Meta Open Arts, Google xStory, la Conference on Movement and Computing, Media Art Xploration (MAX), CultureHub, Contemporary Art Society, et bien d'autres. 

Lisa est membre d'Onassis ONX et de NEW INC, l'incubateur du New Museum pour l'art, le design et la technologie.  Elle enseigne à l'Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) de l'université de New York, où elle a obtenu sa maîtrise. Lisa a créé et maintient l'outil open source Kinectron, entre autres. 

Au début de sa carrière, Lisa a travaillé chez Adobe Design en tant que conceptrice principale pour l'intelligence artificielle, où elle a intégré l'IA/ML dans les outils de création et les flux de travail. Auparavant, elle a été directrice numérique fondatrice de Blue Chalk Media, une société de médias spécialisée dans la non-fiction. 

Lisa vit et travaille à Burlington, VT, et à New York, NY. 

Caroline Laurin-Beaucage is a choreographer, performer, and teacher with 25 years of experience. She has created over a dozen works, ranging from in situ performances to installations, including an architectural projection and a virtual reality film. Her work has been presented in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Israel, and she received the CALQ Award in 2020 for her piece Intérieurs. In 2024, her virtual reality film Une eau la nuit, co-created with Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin, was selected for the official competition at the Venice Biennale. As a performer, she has collaborated with renowned choreographers such as Ginette Laurin and Jean-Pierre Perreault. Caroline is also the founder of Lorganisme and a member of Circuit-Est. Trained at the Toronto Dance Theatre School, she completed her master’s degree at Concordia University in 2022. Since 2020, she has been teaching at UQAM, where she develops projects that combine dance and new technologies. 

Anne is a special-effects, video game, and digital art producer. 

With SYNTHÈSE, she works as a Project Manager, Skills and Careers. Her role is to contribute to know-how in the sector through consultation and in-depth surveys of professional practices in video games, visual effects, and immersive experiences. Anne has worked in the field of visual and digital art for over 25 years. Her understanding of digital production technology and the three professional sectors makes her an excellent leader of 2D and 3D artists and programming teams. She has experience in the field of visual effects, 3D technology, and video games, and she has worked on numerous films, video games, and digital exhibitions. 

Since graduating from UQAM's School of Media in 2011, Guillaume Lévesque has developed an interdisciplinary expertise in creating immersive installations, interactive performances, and virtual spaces. Fascinated by the potential arising from the intersection of the living and the digital, he initially worked with Youtheatre, a theater company for young audiences, as a performer (Pencil Project), sound designer (P@ndora), and co-deviser and coder of a technology-driven performance (Dreaming Now). In 2012, he joined Moment Factory's interactive team, contributing to large-scale projects around the world (Muse-Drone Tour, Red Hot Chili Peppers-Getaway Tour, and many more). In 2021, he moved to Sporobole, an art center that specializes in technological creation, supporting artists at every stage of their creative process through several research, production, and dissemination residency programs. At Sporobole, Guillaume provides technological support to professional artists from various disciplines (including Christian Lapointe, Sabrina Ratté and Daniel Danis). 

Sandra Rodriguez, is a multidisciplniary artists and researcher, working in VR/XR and AI. For 18 years, she has written, produced and directed feature-length films, webdocs and VR, XR and AI experiences and installations, that have garnered numerous awards, including a Peabody, NUMIX and the prestigious Golden Nica at Ars Electronica. She is a UX consultant and Experience lead for game studios, interactive and VR studios, and renowned institutions such as Radio-Canada/CBC, ArsElectronica, Sodec, CPH:DOX and the United Nations. She founded and directed the Creative Reality Lab for 4 years, focusing on the future of non-fiction, and extends today her work to the intersection of AI, performing arts, dance and large-scale museum installation and exhibits. She is a Sundance Institute Fellow and a MacArthur Foundation Grantee. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she inaugurated and lead MIT's  first official course on XR production, "Hacking XR" (2017-2022). 

Samuel is an artistic director renowned for his creative versatility. His interest in interdisciplinary creation has led him to direct a wide variety of works combining circus with dance, theater, visual arts, video, and new technologies. 

With Les 7 Doigts, Samuel has directed the shows RIOPELLE Grandeur Nature (NUMIX award 2024), Carry Me Home (NUMIX award 2024, HUB award 2023), Geysers, Vice & Vertu, Bosch Dreams, Triptyque (CAM Grand prize 2015), Projet Fibonacci and Intersection. His creations are presented around the world in prestigious theaters and festivals including Sadler's Well, Les Nuits de Fourvière, Melbourne Arts Festival, La Villette, Hong Kong Arts Festival and Place des Arts. 

Interested in the exploration of new dramaturgical languages, Samuel has been involved since 2012 with the Centre for Circus Arts Research (CRITAC) and collaborates with university researchers and numerous leaders in the techno-creative sector. In 2020, he contributed setting up LAB7, a prototyping studio dedicated to the encounter between the performing arts and new technologies. As Artistic Director of LAB7, Samuel directs numerous creative projects linking the circus arts with motion capture, augmented and virtual reality, interactive systems, and generative artificial intelligence. His creation Carry Me Home, which combines circus performance and music concert into a mixed reality experience won the NUMIX 2024 award for Best XR Experience. 

A native of Montreal, Samuel is a graduate of the National Circus School. In 1996, he embarked on a remarkable career as a hand-balancing artist, notably with Cirque du Soleil in the show Alegria, where he performed over 1,500 times. In 2002, he became one of the 7 co-founders of the creative collective Les 7 doigts de la main. 

Isabelle Van Grimde is a choreographer, founder, and artistic director of Van Grimde Corps Secrets since 1992. Her international career is distinguished by interdisciplinary collaborations and an in-depth exploration of the human body, its past and future representations. Her work is characterized by the seamless integration of new technologies, blending contemporary dance, scientific research, and dialogue with other art forms. 

Van Grimde stands out for her transdisciplinary approach, combining dance, sciences, and new technologies to create stage works, interactive installations, and web projects. In 2011, she was awarded the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts for her contribution to the artistic scene, both in Canada and internationally. 

Dominic Desjardins is a creator of projects for new platforms, television, and film, with over twenty years of experience. Trained as an actor and director at the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris, he has directed more than a dozen television programs and two feature films after returning to Canada. From 2012 to 2018, he served as executive producer at the National Film Board of Canada, where he directed the Canadian Francophonie Studio and produced over twenty NFB projects (documentaries, 360˚ VR projects, and interactive projects). Over the last five years, lead several workshops on interactive production and 360˚ video in North America and Europe. He is currently a producer at Zazie Films Inc., a francophone production company in Toronto, where he produces linear and immersive/interactive works.

As a director, she produced The Dog, the Knife and the Night of Marius von Mayenburg, in February 2012 then The Golden Dragon of Roland Schimmelpfennig at the Theatre Prospero. In 2015, she staged an adaptation of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment opera in London, ON. In March 2017, she presents Ivresse at La Chapelle, a work that stands out and redefines the relationship with the audience. In 2016, Mireille was awarded the J.-B.-C. Watkins’ grant by the Canada Council for the Arts for her professional development project with renowned author and director Falk Richter in Frankfurt, Germany.  

She creates Intersections, a project bringing together on stage 5 actors in 5 different countries connected. Inspired by telepresence, she presented Bluff where 3 actors on 3 different stages in the province of Quebec were interacting simultaneously in the same show. She receives the Prix d’excellence silver for Best event from the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education for La poésie des bactéries an immersive conference in dome that she directed. She is an artistic consultant at the Society for Arts and Technologies. 

As a director, she is constantly looking for a redefinition of the relationship with the public, she creates theatrical events that allow a collective experience, where the encounter between the auditorium and the stage is the lifeblood of the work. 

After studying dramaturgy and staging at Laval University in Québec City and UNICEN in Argentina, Mireille studied acting at the Superior School of Theater of University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).  

With over 10 years of experience in project management, team mobilization, and production management, Gabrielle pays particular attention to vision, objectives, and production imperatives. All the projects she leads reflect her deep understanding of organizational, artistic, logistical, and technological challenges. Having successfully completed more than 60 projects, Gabrielle has ensured their success by managing unforeseen issues, overseeing strategic planning, impact evaluation, schedules, and budgets, while also supervising and coordinating production. Her early career in communications has shaped her rigor, objectivity, and ability to simplify information. By choosing to pursue her path in the creative and cultural industries, she sought to immerse herself in the latest trends in design and emerging technologies to offer innovative solutions. Today, Gabrielle aims to undertake projects that support and showcase creatives and the initiatives they represent, while fostering engagement and social mobilization.