Forget The Box

Home
Canada
Montreal, QC
Forget The Box

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Forget The Box, Montreal, QC.

Forget The Box is Montreal’s most in-depth arts magazine, a not-for-profit, community focused publication committed to covering local ground level, underground, and marginalized art.

01/09/2026

It's time for another Feature Friday, and this week we're celebrating Montreal author Michael A. Occhionero. With three novels and a poetry collection already published, Michael views his writing as a living record of his own progression and an honest snapshot of a moment in time. Whether he is spinning old records or spending hours on the tennis court, he remains dedicated to capturing the headspace of the present while reflecting on how much he has evolved over the years.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/feature-friday-michael-occhionero

01/07/2026

Change The Tune

Dawn McSweeney kicks off 2026 by diving into the subtle spells we cast with our inner dialogue. By examining the common loops of "why me" and "why not me," she challenges us to flip the script from resentment to radical gratitude and honest self-reflection. Whether you are basking in the "statistical lottery win" of your life or finally deciding to step into a new paradigm, Dawn reminds us that we are the architects of our own reality. It is time to stop being an extra in your own story and start taking the steps to become the version of yourself you once scoffed at.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/mcsweeneys-list-151

01/03/2026

It’s Friday, which means another Feature, and this week we’re diving into the melodic punk and desperate beauty of Jackki Harrt. A downtown artist turning the underbelly of life into empowering anthems, Jackki describes their sound as vulnerability wrapped in barbed wire. Drawing from the grit of Rancid and the attitude of Bikini Kill, they drag the hard stuff such as addiction, psychosis, and survival into the light to ensure no one feels unseen. Jackki talks about their upcoming debut album, the legendary blood and sweat of Foufounes Électriques, and why they finally traded repression for the riotous release of the Montreal stage.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/feature-friday-jackki-harrt

12/31/2025

TAKE YOUR SPOTLIGHT

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, Dawn McSweeney pushes past the redundant resolution game to offer a more radical way forward. From befriending neighborhood crows and acknowledging the cosmic miracle of the sun, to deep-diving into local history and choosing bravery over fear, this week’s essay is a call to stop being an extra in your own life. Whether New Year's Day finds you rolling off a friend’s couch or hitting the gym at sunrise, Dawn reminds us that we are all time travelers on a fleeting ride, so we might as well make it a beautiful road trip.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/mcsweeneys-list-150

12/30/2025

Humble, H***y, and Hilarious
The Resurrection of MTL’s OG Queerlesque Troupe GlamGam
by Andrew Jamieson

Creative Director Andrew Jamieson takes a moment to breathe and reflect on his top highlight of 2025: the long-awaited return of the legendary q***rlesque collective, GlamGam. After a seven-year hiatus, the "Glamily" reclaimed the stage at the historic Café Cléopâtre for a night of curated chaos, raw talent, and radical community. From technical miracles on ladders to raising vital funds for local and global activism, Les Fantômes de Café Cléopâtre was more than just a variety show: it was a triumphant homecoming. Dive into the sweat, popcorn, and dark magick of a collective that proves Montreal’s underground is "too legit to ignore."

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/lesfantomes-glamgam-2025

12/27/2025

It’s Friday, so it’s time for another Feature, and this week, it’s all about the DRAG CREATURE! 👾 Amnesia is a 22-year-old non-binary performer and mixed-media artist who is redefining the Montreal stage. Also known as Anisia Alexe, Amnesia is an artist who seamlessly blends femininity, masculinity, and the infamous in-between. From their drag roots in the House of Horrible to competing as a hip-hop dancer with the E.Y.E. dance crew, they draw inspiration from horror, video games, and comics to create a style they describe as "very strange, but so ME." We dive into Amnesia's journey of breaking creative restrictions, overcoming performance anxiety, and charming audiences with a style that refuses to be categorized.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/feature-friday-amnesia

12/24/2025

POCKETS OF JOY

As the winter solstice passes and the days begin their slow and steady crawl toward the light, Dawn McSweeney invites us to look past the frantic shopping and obligatory small talk. This week, she strips away the consumer trap to reveal the pagan roots of our celebrations, arguing that we need the feasts, the lights, and the songs now more than ever. From breaking bread with difficult relatives to finding happiness in the simple act of giving, Dawn reminds us that the threads of tradition are what tie us together in an increasingly dim world. It’s a call to create pockets of joy and embrace the "together part" where the true magic happens.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/mcsweeneys-list-149

12/22/2025

Fearless Creative Confidence
Mona Maarabani Champions Accessibility and Community

By Arismita Ghosh

What do Model UN and live theatre have in common? For Mona Maarabani, the answer is everything. In our latest feature, Arismita Ghosh sits down with a true jack of all trades to discuss her meteoric rise from venue manager to associate producer and director. Mona shares how her background in crisis committees prepared her for the unpredictable world of live production, the importance of claiming your leadership as a young woman in the industry, and her mission to bridge the gap between the Montreal, Toronto, and New York art scenes. From her work with the Toronto Arab Film Festival to her new venture, Chameleon Theatre, Mona proves that the "producer mind" is exactly what the arts community needs to thrive.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/fearless-creative-confidence

12/19/2025

Feature Friday is NOW! ✨ This week, we spotlight Anthony Portulese, an emerging q***r Italo-Québécois writer from Montreal's East End, whose background is as rich as his prose. Anthony's journey is a fascinating pivot from studying pharmacology to publishing an academic thesis on Monet's Water Lilies. Now working in law, his short fiction, which explores his heritage in Saint-Léonard, has been recognized as a finalist for the 2025 carte blanche Prize as he prepares to publish his debut novel.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/feature-friday-anthony-portulese

12/17/2025

BREATHE IN THE GRATITUDE

What happens when an obsessive overthinker loses the mental energy to overthink? This week, Dawn McSweeney takes us through the hilarious and humbling fog of "seasonal surgery" as she navigates an adenoidectomy recovery looking like a mix between Groucho Marx and a Nutcracker. From chasing a spotlight endorphin rush at Sleazy Christmas while bandaged and damaged to the profound "post-op clarity" of finally learning how to receive care with open arms, Dawn explores how a little luck and a lot of gratitude are the ultimate fuel for the human machine. It's a raw, funny, and deeply honest look at why being "just alright" is sometimes the biggest win of all.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/mcsweeneys-list-148

12/10/2025

HAPPINESS ON A CURVE

This week, Dawn McSweeney dissects the alarming trend of the flattening Happiness Curve, noting that for the first time, people aged 18-29 are now the least happy age group. While exploring the traditional "mid-life crisis" and the hard-won confidence of people approaching 50, Dawn turns her lens on the younger generation. She argues that factors like rising financial insecurity and the curse of the "highly curated online life" have replaced real connection and accelerated the damaging urge to compare, ultimately stealing the carefree joy of youth. It's a sharp look at why better days are right over the horizon, if we can learn to connect more and compare less.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/mcsweeneys-list-147

12/09/2025

FORGET THE BOX 2025 WRAPPED
52 Weeks of Montreal’s Art Scene

Following the global trend, Forget The Box presents its 2025 Wrapped, but we couldn't settle on simply nice graphics and numbers; we had to talk about it. Creative Director Andrew Jamieson and Editor-at-Large Dawn McSweeney sit down to dig into the details of the last 12 months. From publishing 52 features, fueled by a massive increase in contributors, to the catharsis of writing 150 consecutive essays and submitting critical grant applications, they discuss the growth, the highs and the lows, the achievements and the struggles, and FTB’s enduring mission to document Montreal's ground level, underground, and marginalized art.

https://www.forgetthebox.ca/arts/forgetthebox-2025-wrapped

Address

Montreal, QC

Website

http://www.forgetthebox.ca/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Forget The Box posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Forget The Box:

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company in Montreal?