This year’s award, in the arts management category, goes to the dynamic duo of Mickaël Spinnhirny and Lydie Revez, co-director of CAPAS. The jury sought to underscore the two managers’ responsiveness during the pandemic, but also their sense of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, their openness, the ground-breaking vision they bring to human resources and collaborative work, and the intergenerational model they continue to favour. CAPAS has carved out a reputation for leadership across the community, and for its commitment to the discipline of dance, its agility in the shift to digital technology, and its efforts to promote the discipline in Quebec and on international stages.
Lydie Revez
Lydie Revez boasts more than 25 years’ experience in arts management and administration, with a specialty in dance. After working for Tangente, Cas Public and Système D/Dominique Porte, she co-founded CAPAS. On behalf of the company, she provides support to various artists and organizations in connection with their administrative, financial and logistical responsibilities, from preparing financial statements to drafting and submitting grant applications, coordinating artistic productions, and bookkeeping. She supports emerging and established companies alike, including Springboard Danse Montréal, the Margie Gillis Dance Foundation, Destins Croisés, and Andrea Peña & Artists. During the pandemic, she helped actors in the dance community navigate the health restrictions and the financial assistance measures. As the logical “left brain” force behind the agency, Lydie draws on the creative talent and communication skills of Mickaël, who represents the artists with local and international presenters.
Mickaël Spinnhirny
Mickaël Spinnhirny is a graduate of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec. After completing his career as a dancer, he turned his attention to communications, with a special interest in development and support practices for artists and arts organizations. In 2018, he paired his two passions to co-found, with Lydie Revez, CAPAS, specialized in the development and support of artists and arts organizations across the dance community. He has since represented French-language artists and companies from Quebec, including Marie Chouinard, Ballets Jazz Montréal, Sylvain Émard Danse, Virginie Brunelle, Andrea Peña & Artists, Destins Croisés, RD Créations, with the objective of promoting emerging talent here in Quebec and abroad. During the pandemic, he spearheaded a number of digital literacy and development projects aimed at providing the dance community with the tools required to accelerate the transition to digital technology. He established the Sceno.tv webcasting platform, which facilitates access to dance shows. As the creative “right-brain” force behind the agency, Mickaël draws on the management and organizational talents of Lydie Revez, who supports artists with administrative and logistical tasks.