Our Team

Starting in 2012, a relationship of trust and deep understanding was forged between the Religious Hospitallers of Saint-Joseph and Élaine Gauthier, who was then employed by the City of Montreal. They would meet on several occasions over the years, in the context of preparing a statement of heritage interest for the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal site (2016)as well as a first series of conversations (2021)leading to the formulation of a vision for a project to requalify the Cité-des-Hospitalières.

The hospitallers approached Élaine again after she left the City of Montreal, asking her to continue the journey of meaning she had begun with their help. Élaine entered into a dialogue with them, aware that the charism at the heart of their mission («free to love and to serve») resonates with great relevance today, when multiple crises are shaking up our structures, our bearings and our aspirations.

Drawing inspiration from the commitment and work of the hospitallers, Brèches took shape in the summer of 2023. In 2024, with the arrival of Judith and Charlotte, the Brèches team is made up of three people deeply invested in this quest for meaning, care and transformation. Together, they set out to put into motion this profound ambition of humbly and courageously embodying a learning, conscious, open and connected humanity.

We are a small team of self-employed workers based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Brèches is composed first and foremost of this small team and is joined by other collaborators to animate and nurture projects as needs arise from thematic cycles and from the evolution of Brèches.

Our working approach is based on learning, experimentation and intuition to create peaceful and pleasant spaces that reflect our deep personal intentions as well as the values and ethics that drive Brèches. Fluidity, well-being, transparency and good communication develop first between us and then become embodied in the project. 

We see projects, themes and our working methods as evolving and as part of a flexible design that can be shaped by the people who contribute to it.

It also seems important to mention that Brèches seeks to provide the members of its small team, and the people who temporarily join it, with the means to develop new knowledge and practices, to feel comfortable with the project, to be able to find their place within it and to have fun in their work.

A resident artist joins us during the period of exploration of a theme (approximately 6 months) to participate in a sensitive, creative and experiential integration of the various encounters organized by Brèches and to enrich our contents by a coherent and inspired artistic practice.

This residency aims to support and highlight the artist's innovative and sensitive work, giving them access to different areas of Cité-des-Hospitalières, which they will help to bring to life.

Remuneration and fees for participants

Brèches is a project with an evolving design that attempts to reflect and deploy its activities in line with its mission and values.

In this sense, Brèches is aware of the numerous salary and remuneration inequities that exist between fields of work. Artists, social workers, caregivers, teachers and others workers in the arts, culture and community services are often underpaid, despite the fact that their work and involvement are essential to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. These sectors are largely occupied by women and racialized people.

Brèches offers a social compensation to its conversation guests and collaborators.

Conversation guests are people from a variety of backgrounds and fields who come together in a conversation to discuss a theme proposed by Brèches. The aim is to encourage encounters that take us out of our usual frameworks, that provoke moments of surprise and breach.

We strive to create spaces for discussion that are welcoming and attentive to people. We invite our guests to share the richness of their perspectives, understandings, questions, experiences and backgrounds. With no specific expectations, we trust the exchange, listening and the quality of the relationships that are created, opening up the transformative potential of the moment.

Our social cachet therefore serves to:

- Support people whose work and expertise are less well recognized in a social and political context that needs to improve.

- Enable certain people who need to take time off to participate in our activities to do so.

Brèches' budgets remain limited, so if your means allow you to take part in these conversations or in an interview on a voluntary basis, the fee will enable us to bring in other speakers who can take part in the thematic cycle and contribute to enriching our collective understanding of this theme.

We look forward to hearing from you.