It is ultimately the actress Tania Kontoyanni who will succeed Sophie Prégent at the head of the Union des artistes.
She was elected as president of its board of directors after a tight fight against the actor Pierre-Luc Brillant.
Union members were asked to vote for a second time, after none of the four contending candidates obtained the necessary absolute majority in a first vote. The two candidates with the most votes then faced off in a duel. As in the first round, 30% of active members exercised their right to vote.
“I feel a good dose of adrenaline like before a theater premiere. My heart is pounding, ”responded Tania Kontoyanni, in an interview with La Presse.
Active in the world of theatre, television and cinema, she will succeed Sophie Prégent, who held the position for 10 years. Mrs. Kontoyanni does not hide that she has big shoes to fill.
“[Sophie Prégent] opened channels of communication with the political class and made the union an essential interlocutor with regard to cultural subjects”, underlined the lucky winner.
After joining the UDA Board of Directors in 2017, Tania Kontoyanni was appointed as Treasurer in 2019. ‘opportunity to review our ways,’ she said.
One of his first mandates will be to tackle the renewal of the performers’ agreement (cinema-television) with the Association québécoise de la productionMEDIA, which expired on February 1.
“It is the agreement that engages the most members and represents the largest proportion of artists’ income within the union,” said Tania Kontoyanni.
The new president also campaigned on mobilization and communication with members.
“What I want is to find the right way to communicate with members that is direct, that challenges them, that develops their sense of belonging and that ultimately mobilizes them,” she replies.
Because the challenges in culture are not lacking.
The web giants are sucking up revenue from the cultural community and suffocating local productions. In this regard, Ms. Kontoyanni will closely follow Bill C-11, which would, among other things, require large digital companies to contribute to Canadian content.
The rising cost of living is also a threat to the industry. “We know where people cut when the recession hits and inflation flares up, it’s often in the culture,” fears the actress.
All this while the cultural environment has emerged weakened in recent years, deplores Tania Kontoyanni. “The pandemic has left deep wounds. Everywhere in culture, especially in the performing arts, we have to learn from this, ”she pleaded.
The board of directors will meet in an extraordinary session on April 12 to elect the members who will make up the management committee.
