The Canada Brief

Culture · 5 d ago

Illustration of an empty stage with a trapeze

Artists go unpaid after the Seul ensemble tour is cancelled

The tour of Seul ensemble, a circus reimagining of Serge Fiori's music, was cancelled this week, and crew say they have been unpaid since September. Co-producer Productions Bylo Nebylo Inc. has not answered them or requests for comment.

Performances given

25 shows

The show gave 25 performances in Montreal and Quebec City between Aug 30 and Oct 3. Nearly 50 dates were still on the calendar.

It's truly a fiasco. It's a terrible waste for the artists who worked like mad to get there.

— Benoît Landry, the show's director

Why it matters

The crew worked on private contracts with no union protection, which leaves little recourse when a producer stops paying. About 40 people are affected, according to the show's video lead.