FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING

In 2004, artists and activists in Montreal, fed up with art as a commodity and a culture for sale came together to form the first infringement festival.  Put together in under three months and featuring over 25 local, national and international performers, the festival's success made it clear that something wasn't right with the way things were going and it was time to infringe...

Since that time, the festival in Montreal has grown and spread to other communities around the world like Buffalo, NY (going into it's fourth year), Regina, SK, Ottawa, Toronto and New York City.  Last year, the first infringement Festival on European shores happened in Bordeaux, France and this year, there are plans to get festivals underway in Barcelona, Hamilton and Niagara-Lockport, NY.

Despite it's growth, the infringement has stayed true to it's mandate to oppose the corporate takeover of culture and create a space for local and out of town critical artists to meet, collaborate and, above all, play.

Now, for it's fifth year, the infringement is once again welcoming anyone who wants to artistically infringe on the monoculture: theatre groups and performers, musicians and bands, visual artists, flim and video makers, street perfromers, culture-jammers and more.

We're also running in Montreal almost the whole month of June (5th through 29th).

As the infringement looks to the future, here is a quick look at our past, though previous incarnations of the festival's website:

2004   2005   2006   2007

and a handful of images...

thanks for infringing...