Forget The Box

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT ARTS JOURNALISM 🚨 DONATE NOW 💸 Since 2023, Forget The Box(.ca) has had a singular mission: to provide in-depth coverage of Montreal’s ground level, underground, and marginalized art scenes. As of February 2026, Forget The Box Media is officially a federal not-for-profit, and now we’re launching our first-ever fundraising campaign! We’re raising $10,000 to keep Forget The Box(.ca) on mission and our proverbial lights on. As the only magazine in the city devoted entirely to this work, we rely on the community that values art and independent media to keep our writers working and our coverage consistent. ✖️ No sponsored content. ✖️ No corporate backers. ✖️ No paywalls. ✖️ No gatekeeping. ✅ Art that matters to Montreal. If you love deep-dive coverage of artists at the margins, local art spaces, and the creative pulse of the city, this is your moment to contribute! We provide the platform. You help us keep it running. HELP US REACH THE $10K GOAL. DONATE AT THE LINK IN OUR BIO! 🔗 #ForgetTheBox #Fundraising #SupportLocal #Zeffy #IndependentMedia [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A graphic arts poster on a clean off-white cream background. The image is dominated by massive, thick black abstract letterforms representing "FTB" that create a bold, geometric structure. Tilted at various angles throughout the design are small lines of text in primary colors: "FORGET THE BOX(.CA)" in red, "SUPPORT LOCAL ARTS JOURNALISM" in blue, and "DONATE" in green. In the bottom right corner, the text "FORGET THE BOX MEDIA" is written vertically in a clean black font.

Forget The Box(.ca) is concluding our month-long collaboration with the HTMlles festival (produced by ada_x_mtl). Over the last month, we’ve brought you weekly features highlighting artists who embody the festival’s commitment to technocritical reflection and transdisciplinary creation. To close out the series, we feature the economic prose of Saint-Henri writer and translator Jinwoo Park. Jinwoo details his transition from writing “absurdly bad fanfics” as a child to crafting complex political thrillers inspired by Korean history and the Bourne Identity franchise. We look at his writing process (starting with chaos, moving to regurgitation, before finally outlining), and his dedication to the community-oriented spirit of the Montreal literary scene. Read this week’s Feature Friday to learn how Jinwoo uses fiction to explore the delicate relationship between native and diasporic Koreans. LINK IN BIO Featuring: @jinwoopark0721 #HTMlles2026 #MontrealWriters #KoreanCanadian #FeatureFriday #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A bright promotional graphic for Forget The Box(.ca)’s Feature Friday series, concluding the HTMlles Festival 2026 collaboration. The image shows writer Jinwoo Park sitting on a gray sofa in a denim shirt, with the Forget The Box logo positioned alongside the Ada X x HTMLLes Festival 2026 logo. Peach-colored text displays the "feature friday" script masthead, the date "15 MAY 2026," and the artist’s name, "JINWOO PARK."

THE LABOUR OF LOVE: A Review of Wine & Halva at Teesri Duniya Theatre By Arismita Ghosh “Make yourself as comfortable as you can,” the narrator warns, “because we will make sure that you’re very uncomfortable very soon.” In their review of Deniz Başar’s Wine & Halva, Arismita Ghosh explores a biting, anti-realist comedy that trades escapism for intellectual friction. From its Brechtian inspiration to the blank slate performances of its trio of actors, the play is a masterclass in metatheatre that refuses to dumb itself down. It is a demanding, hopeful, and deeply analytical look at the labour of friendship in an unequal world, and a testament to the labour of love required to bring such challenging work to the stage. Written by: @arismitaaa Featuring: @sortofproductions @teesriduniya.theatre Cover Photo by: @juleschanvillard #WineAndHalva #TeesriDuniyaTheatre #MontrealTheatre #Friendship #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A photograph bathed in deep purple light featuring an actor on stage wearing a light blue, sleeveless gown over a white long-sleeved shirt. The actor, styled with long braided hair, looks slightly off-camera with a confident expression. The image is framed as a digital magazine cover for FORGET THE BOX, with the title "THE LABOUR of Love" prominently displayed in large, white serif font across the center. Below the title, smaller text reads, "A Review of Wine & Halva at Teesri Duniya Theatre," followed by the byline "by Arismita Ghosh," with the date "14 MAY 2026" stamped in the bottom right corner.

MTL Event Guide: McSweeney’s List (May 13, 2026) Are we getting dumber? This week, Dawn McSweeney delivers a sharp look at why our collective IQs are dropping in the age of AI slop and digital “daffodils.” From the corporate takeover of schools to the systemic death of critical thinking, Dawn challenges us to stop scrolling and start reading for the pure, rebellious fun of it. Exercise your brain (and your social life) with this week’s picks: 🎭 Wine & Halva (@sortofproductions ) – Thought-provoking comedy at Teesri Duniya Theatre exploring friendship as resistance. 🌈 Queer Reading Series (@pwmontreal /@centaurtheatre ) – PWM and Centaur Theatre present two nights of dynamic new works-in-progress! 🎸 Pouzzafest (@pwmontreal ) – Three days of punk, hardcore, and poutine pizza across Montreal’s most iconic venues. 🎨 Montreal Comic Arts Festival (@fbdm_mtl ) – Canada’s largest comic book fest takes over Saint-Denis. Completely FREE. 🏡 NDG Porchfest (@porchfestndg ) – The 10th edition! Stroll the neighborhood for 40+ balcony concerts supporting Head & Hands. 🎤 Accent Open Mic (@accent_open_mic ) – Poetry and prose hijinks at Bar Le Record with the theme “Play.” Tap the link in bio for the full list + the “Brain Drain” essay. 📌 Save this post to plan your weekend! McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal! Submit your event NOW! #CriticalThinking #FlynnEffect #StayCurious #McSweeneysList #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] Digital magazine cover for McSweeney’s List, Issue 169 (May 13, 2026), titled THE GREAT DISTRACTION AND THE BRAIN DRAIN. The image features a hand holding a smartphone that displays a vibrant, slightly glitchy illustration of yellow daffodils against a dark background. Bold white text dominates the center, accompanied by the sub-header “It’s true. We’re getting dumber.” A large blue “Mc” brand block sits in the top-left corner, balanced by a “MONTREAL EVENTS” banner in the top-right. The bottom half lists featured events including Wine & Halva, the Queer Reading Series, Pouzzafest, and NDG Porchfest, set against a moody, dark teal backdrop.

Forget The Box(.ca) is continuing our month-long collaboration with the HTMlles festival (produced by @ada_x_mtl ). Over the next month, we’re bringing you weekly features highlighting artists who embody the festival’s commitment to technocritical reflection and transdisciplinary creation. This week, we feature the “undisciplined” practice of Hochelaga-based artist Fannie L’Heureux. She details her “Maquillage pour toustes” (Makeup for Everyone) project and her upcoming tea session at OBORO, where dirty crockery serves as a metaphor for data collection. Fannie opens up about her transition from video to live performance, the anarchist values of the Chabanel studio scene, and why she views the street as the ultimate stage for accessibility. Read this feature to learn how she balances punk aesthetics with radical gentleness to tackle the hyperconnectivity of the modern world. LINK IN BIO Featuring: @fannie.lheureux @ada_x_mtl #HTMlles2026 #Stage #Multidisciplinary #FeatureFriday #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A promotional cover graphic for Forget The Box(.ca)’s Feature Friday series, in collaboration with the HTMlles Festival 2026. The image is a striking, close-up portrait of multidisciplinary artist Fannie L’Heureux. Fannie ( elle/she/her) looks directly and intensely at the camera. She has long dark hair, prominent red blush, red lipstick, and wears delicate round wire-frame glasses, a septum piercing, and a small labret piercing. Her light, sleeveless blouse has a detailed white embroidered lace collar, and she has visible floral and geometric tattoos on both shoulders and arms. Her left hand, clad in a single bright blue nitrile medical glove, is held to her chest. In the top-left margin, small white sans-serif text reads: “STAGE | 8 MAY 2026”. The main headline is the large, neon-green script masthead reading “feature friday,” overlaying the top of her portrait. Across her chest, in bold green sans-serif text, is “FANNIE L’HEUREUX.” In the bottom-left corner is the stacked Ada X x HTMLLes Festival 2026 logo. The background is a soft, faded blue fabric backdrop.

MTL Event Guide: McSweeney’s List (May 6, 2026) Before you dive into the list, Dawn McSweeney takes us through a harrowing 24-hour reality check. What Fear Awakens 🏥 is a thoughtful look at what happens when a health scare forces you to face reality while sitting in the ER. From the surreal sight of a spider on a CT machine to the clarity of realizing exactly what needs to be protected, this week’s essay is a powerful reminder that wake-up calls come in strange forms. This week we’re featuring: 🎨 HTMlles Festival (@ada_x_mtl ) – The 16th edition kicks off TONIGHT at Ada X with a vernissage exploring lived experience and technology. 🕺🏻 90’s Dance Party – Larger Than Life edition at Ausgang Plaza. Channel your inner boy band or girl group and sweat to the best of the decade. 🎷 Mother’s Day Jazz Brunch (@auxvivres_ ) – Live vibes by Phil So Good and a vegan spread at Aux Vivres for the moms and bonus moms in your life. 💡 Paper Lamp Making (@drlemco )– A hands-on creative session at the legendary Dr. Lemco’s Creative Club. Build your own luminous sculpture! Tap the link in bio for the full curated list + Dawn’s essay. 📌 Save this post so you don’t miss the start of the HTMlles fest tonight or the fun this weekend! McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal! Submit your event NOW! #Gratitude #Urgency #MontrealEvents #McSweeneysList #forgetthebox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] Digital magazine cover for McSweeney’s List, Issue 168, dated 6 May 2026. The background is a dramatic, low-angle night photograph of the stone exterior of St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal. The building’s large windows glow with a warm, bright yellow light against the evening sky. In the top left corner, a bold red square features a large white “Mc” logo with “McSWEENEY’S LIST” underneath. A red diagonal banner in the top right reads “MONTREAL EVENTS.” The main headline, “WHAT FEAR AWAKENS,” is layered over the center of the image in large, bold white sans-serif typography. The overall mood is architectural, urgent, and cinematic.

Underground Receipts: A Meditation on Montreal and Mile End Kicks by Andrew Jamieson In 2011, a wave of artists fled Toronto’s high rents and social isolation for the promise of Montreal. Andrew Jamieson was one of them. In this reflection on the new film Mile End Kicks, Jamieson revisits that era, from long shifts at Segal’s to nights navigating the intense, frantic energy of a city’s art scene. This is an exploration of building community, and a look at the blurred lines between personal memory and the cinematic myths of a neighborhood that became a global trope. Written by: @fakejamieson Featuring: @mileendkicksmovie @clevack #MileEndKicks #MontrealArt #MontrealUnderground #THISISNOTASAFESPACE #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A grainy, film-style photograph captures a night-time outdoor performance in a dimly lit, wooded area. Two people are on a makeshift stage in the background, while an audience in the foreground sits on the ground surrounded by small, glowing lanterns. The image is the digital magazine cover for FORGET THE BOX. The title, “underground RECEIPTS,” is written in large, stylized white serif lettering across the center. Below the title is the subtitle, “A Meditation on Montreal and Mile End Kicks,” followed by the byline, “by Andrew Jamieson.” The bottom right corner is stamped with the date, “4 MAY 2026.”

Forget The Box(.ca) is continuing our month-long collaboration with the HTMlles festival (produced by @ada_x_mtl ). Over the next month, we’re bringing you weekly features highlighting artists who embody the festival’s commitment to technocritical reflection and transdisciplinary creation. This week, we look at the multidisciplinary work of Naghmeh Sharifi. We discuss her “Sineh-be-Sineh” project, exploring oral transmission of stories and knowledge from one person to another, and how she translates archival recordings of her grandmother’s stories into visual language. Based in New Rosemont, Naghmeh draws from the urban forests of Parc Maisonneuve and her history as a pole dancer to inform the rhythm and movement of her studio practice. Read this interview to understand her intuitive process of “un-painting” with solvents and why she views imagination as a tool for survival and self-making in a “hopelessly practical world.” LINK IN BIO Featuring: @naghmehsharifi @ada_x_mtl #HTMlles2026 #VisualArts #Multidisciplinary #FeatureFriday #ForgetTheBox [ALT TEXT FOR IMAGE] A promotional graphic for Forget The Box(.ca)'s Feature Friday series, produced in collaboration with the HTMlles Festival 2026. The image features a portrait of multidisciplinary artist Naghmeh Sharifi in her New Rosemont studio. Naghmeh (she/her), who has dark curly hair and wears a green sweater and black apron, looks back over her shoulder while painting a large canvas with a brown pigment wash. The large yellow script masthead reads "feature friday." Smaller yellow serif text below the portrait reads "NAGHMEH SHARIFI | Multidisciplinary Artist | New Rosemont, Montreal." The top margin includes "VISUAL ARTS" and "1 MAY 2026." The bottom right corner features the yellow graphic: "Ada X x HTMLLes FESTIVAL 2026." The foreground shows a work table cluttered with brushes and pigment jars.

MTL Event Guide: McSweeney’s List (April 29, 2026) 📅✨ Before you dive into the list, Dawn McSweeney is back with a challenge: Don’t be nice, be kind. 🍬 While the world feels like an unprecedented shit-show-screaming-match, collectively, we seem more sensitive than ever. This week, she explores why “niceness” is often just a pretty word for avoidance—and why we need the radical kindness that protects people instead of just appearances. This week we’re featuring: 🎭 Montreal Sketchfest (@montrealsketchfest ) – The festival kicks off at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine with Legitness, Tony McIntyre, and more. 🎸 The Casualties (@thecasualties_official ) – Wall-to-wall punk at Bar Le Ritz PDB with The Drowns and Rumkicks. 📚 Free Comic Book Day – Massive giveaways and store-wide sales at Crossover Comics. 🎙️ Accent Open Mic (@accent_open_mic ) – Poetry and prose hijinks at Bar Le Record featuring Lisa Shen and Tahira Rajwani. 💻 HTMlles Festival (@ada_x_mtl ) – The 16th edition opening at Ada X, exploring art, technology, and lived experience. Also: @modoliveofficial @i.am.the.eggplant @thedrowns @rumkicks @tonyliketheawards @a.c.birch @hotmetalplayground @vbleezy @hurleysirishpub Click the LINK IN BIO for the full curated list + Dawn’s latest essay. 📌 Save this post so you have your weekend plans ready when you need them! McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal! Submit your event NOW! #RadicalKindness #LocalMontreal #MontrealEvents #McSweeneysList #ForgetTheBox

Words for Understanding One Another: The Blue Metropolis Literary Festival Returns to Montreal By Julia Bifulco Celebrating its 28th edition, the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival returns to Montreal as a vital multilingual hub for global storytelling and intellectual exchange. This year’s theme, "Words for Understanding One Another," brings together over 150 authors and artists to explore the power of literature in bridging divides and fostering deep connection. Spanning nine languages and over 110 events, this essential gathering is a testament to the city’s vibrant literary spirit and is not to be missed before it concludes on April 26, 2026. Written by: @jubifulco Featuring: @bleumetblue LINK IN BIO #MontrealArts #BlueMet2026 #MontrealLiterature #Multilingual #ForgetTheBox

Forget The Box(.ca) is incredibly hyped to kick off a month-long collaboration with the HTMlles festival (produced by @ada_x_mtl ), Montreal’s premier biennial for feminist media arts and digital culture. Over the next month, we’re bringing you weekly features highlighting artists who embody the festival’s commitment to technocritical reflection and transdisciplinary creation. This week we’re diving into the well of sound created by IRL (Amanda Harvey). We look at how Amanda bridges the gap between hosting the Heart Full radio show on n10.as and their life in cabinetmaking school. A resident of Villeray, Amanda is deeply embedded in the Montreal scene, finding inspiration in the legacy of the Durocher building and the liminal sounds of the world around them. Read this interview to understand why they spend hours in the studio chasing a single note and how the afterglow of a live performance feels like entering another dimension. LINK IN BIO Featuring: @irlhuman @ada_x_mtl #HTMlles2026 #MTLMusic #AmbientMTL #Technofeminism #forgetthebox

THANK YOU, MONTRÉAL🔥 Please excuse the delay, the FTB team has been nursing a hangover since Saturday night. That’s just what happens when you spend an evening at Café Cléopâtre with the best crowd in the city! Now that we’re finally back on our feet, we have some incredible news: We raised $235! A massive, heart-filled thank you to the Bareoke crew and the absolute legends at @glamgam_productions . You folks are the gold standard for community support. Not only do you throw one of the wildest parties in the city, but you truly show up for local arts journalism, and the ground level, underground, and marginalized voices that we work to amplify. Thank you for sharing your stage with us! Every cent raised goes directly toward keeping Forget The Box(.ca) operations running and supporting the arts in our city. Missed the madness? You can still show us some love via our ZEFFY CAMPAIGN - LINK IN BIO 🔗 Thanks for helping us keep the mission alive. #Bareoke #Fundraising #MontrealArts #CafeCleopatre #forgetthebox