Café-bistro Le Charlot

Committed to diffusing alternative culture

Finding an appropriate place to exhibit your work when you’re a little-known, up-and-coming artist with very little means is no easy task. But for artists in Trois-Rivières, Le Charlot café-bistro, dreamed up and founded by students at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), has become a meeting place bringing together artists in disciplines such as poetry, music, theatre, the visual arts and many other art forms.

In July 2007, three friends from totally different academic backgrounds but who shared a common passion for alternative culture decided to bring their passion to life. By opening a café-bistro in the very heart of downtown Trois-Rivières, Simon Bellerose (mechanical engineering), Alexandre Gauthier (social communications) and Thomas Richard (business administration) said to themselves that up-and-coming artists would finally have somewhere to be seen and heard.

“Young people can carve out a place for themselves in a city in part thanks to culture. Because of the exodus of young people towards major centres, we decided to invest in our city and turn it into a stimulating and dynamic environment,” the three companions all agree.

Basically, the team in charge of Le Charlot acts as an event facilitator, putting its space and equipment at the disposal of artists and community groups totally free of charge. But it is also an events promoter, organizing and financing regional events such as the Cercle de conteurs and Théâtre Spontané. Since it opened, more than 200 cultural events of all kinds have been able to take advantage of Le Charlot’s stage.

Le Charlot, however, is much more than just a café-bistro. The concept reflects today’s socially conscious young people, with their concern for the environment, sustainable development and human solidarity. The coffee and sugar are both fair trade, no fried food is prepared in the kitchens and the kitchen staff have chosen to serve balanced meals and purchase from local suppliers. These ethics of solidarity are also manifest in the team’s management practices as the café-bistro was transformed into a solidarity cooperative in the summer 2009. And, proof that they have made wise choices, last March the project was honoured with the Coup de cœur award bestowed on a cooperative project during the Gala Implic’Action organized by UQTR’s COOPSCO. “The Charlot team members are people with passion and their commitment has yielded results. They are a dynamic and rallying force and are not afraid of hard work,” points out Jonathan Fortier, president of the UQTR student association.

Le Charlot is also a place for showcasing and promoting the French language. In collaboration with the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de la Mauricie, it organizes a number of activities highlighting Québec identity.

Moreover, thanks to fund-raising dinners, Le Charlot enables dozens of community groups to obtain the financial support they need in a friendly and enjoyable environment. “We want to underline the values advocated by the Charlot team such as close ties with the community, sense of initiative, democracy and solidarity. We believe that these values should be championed by all young people when building tomorrow’s society,” confides Annie Fontaine of the Trois-Rivières solidarity committee.

Café-bistro Le Charlot