Created in 2021 by Agence Correspondances Digitales and Xn Québec, the NUMIX LAB is an annual international event aimed at accelerating networking and promoting cooperation, co-productions, as well as the circulation of works and expertise. The objective of the NUMIX LAB is to unite an international community around digital creativity to facilitate collaborations between the cultural, audiovisual and technological sectors.
This year, the 5th edition of the NUMIX LAB will take place from November 25 to 29, 2024 in Munich, Leipzig and Berlin, and will focus on the theme of the sustainability of immersive experiences, approached from a variety of different angles (environmental, economic, social, territorial and societal).
HUB Montreal’s mission is to contribute to the influence of Quebec’s creative businesses and to Montreal’s positioning as a creative city: with this in mind, it seemed natural that Julie Dalbec, Head of Programming, would participate in this 5th edition in Germany. We asked her several questions before her departure to find out more about what she hopes to get out of this innovative and international experience!
HUB Montreal has participated in several editions of NUMIX LAB, but this year is my first participation! I am very excited to join this mission in Germany, where we will have the chance to discover three creative cities: Munich, Leipzig and Berlin.
There are several reasons why it is important for HUB Montreal to be present at the fifth edition of NUMIX LAB. First, it is a unique opportunity to meet new companies and personalities from the international creative ecosystem and thus have the opportunity to create new links, exchange with them and develop new possibilities for collaborations or business.
Also, as Head of Programming for HUB, I am also participating in NUMIX LAB 2024 to inspire myself, learn more about projects that have developed in Europe and internationally and to be able to bring new perspectives of exchanges for the 9th edition of HUB Montreal. There is nothing better than being among your peers to discuss issues, the latest innovations and new trends in our industry!
Finally, this Xn Québec initiative, which has been in place for 5 years now, helps to promote the creative know-how of Quebec’s creative and cultural industries, which also fits in with HUB’s mission, and I am very happy to be participating alongside them this year.
I will participate in the entire program! I absolutely do not want to miss anything, from Munich to Berlin to Leipzig! It is important for me to keep abreast of new trends but also and especially of the new direction that is being undertaken by the industry in terms of economic and environmental sustainability. This is a topic that I want to address in 2025.
With NUMIX LAB 2024, I definitely want to be better equipped to talk about sustainability and the environment. These are important aspects that I want to give a greater place to in the 2025 programming. I am still thinking about the theme of the 9th edition, but I know that the discussions on the latest trends, in which I will have the chance to participate in Europe, will help me move forward in my thinking. Of course, when I think about the 2025 programming, I also think about the international guests, the speakers who could contribute to it and, without forgetting, the beautiful, inspiring and innovative projects that we could present at HUB 2025.
I also hope to be able to meet with festival representatives to create content collaborations as we already do with the OFFF Barcelona Festival or Beyond Conference in England. But also, other sectoral organizations to exchange ideas, stimulate innovation and create opportunities to allow Quebec studios to thrive on the international scene.
There are so many organizations, companies and interesting people participating in this 5th edition of the NUMIX LAB! Festivals and sectoral organizations, as I mentioned before, will definitely be entities that I will want to meet like: Relais Culture Europe – Bureau Europe Créative France, LAS Art Foundation, Videocittà, Rencontres Audiovisuelles, Faz Cultura, Culture company of Braga, SILBERSALZ Science Media Festival, Light Art Museum Budapest, Museum Studio / Grand Palais Immersif, Business France, Citadelle de Marseille and so on!
This experience will not only be a source of inspiration, but also an opportunity to form strategic partnerships that will certainly enrich and diversify HUB Montreal’s programming next year. By exploring new perspectives, we hope to integrate key topics such as environmental, societal and territorial sustainability and draw inspiration from them to contribute to the future of our industry. These themes are crucial for our studios and the sustainability of our projects.