The JIA Foundation is proud to present programming reflective of the diversity of people and groups that make up our Chinatown’s social fabric.
In order to achieve this, we have been building collaborations and incubating grassroots projects. We work with community groups and groups working in arts and culture as well as grassroots collectives to support their initiatives, share space and resources, and help them find their footing within our Chinatown ecosystem. We believe that this kind of cross-pollination benefits our Chinatown by strengthening its community base and allowing new projects by and for the community to emerge.
Chinatown Youth
Chinatown Youth is a youth-driven grassroots organization whose mission is to foster youth engagement and interest in Chinatown, by providing pathways for education, community-building, and involvement in and around Chinatown’s ecosystem.
Under the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act, children were a rare sight in Chinatown. Later, as urban renewal projects in the 20th century eroded community infrastructure families relied on to sustain life in the neighbourhood, lack of children and youths once again became commonplace. This is the backdrop for Chinatown Youth’s important mandate. Their initiatives across Chinatown are allowing for a new generation of youths to take interest in the neighbourhood’s history and insert themselves in this story by creating relationships both intergenerational and with other youths.
Through accessible programming ranging from film screenings to language programs, Chinatown Youth has been contributing to activating many spaces in the neighbourhood, including Chinatown House since its first iteration (2023-2024) at 1088 Clark Street. Starting 2025, CTY has been steering activities such as biweekly mahjong nights inside Chinatown House at 116 de la Gauchetière W.
Manger nos racines + La terre sous nos ongles
Manger nos racines and La terre sous nos ongles are are citizen co-creation projects launched in 2018 in collaboration with Léa Tremblay Fong, a professional choreographer and performer whose artistic practice is rooted in everyday living spaces, forging deep community ties and highlighting the neighborhood’s human and historical heritage. Between 2022 and 2025, 170 movement workshops and classes were offered to the public for free, alongside various activities and 10 artistic performances in public spaces.
Manger nos racines, carried out in 2023–2024, was a social art project culminating in the co-creation of a dance-theater performance. The project targeted local residents and people who frequent the neighborhood—particularly seniors—by offering them movement workshops, dance classes, and festive events, inspiring participants to draw from their own personal stories. By showcasing both local history and the participants’ individual life stories, Manger nos racines helped combat isolation, promote health and well-being, spark conversations, and strengthen intergenerational bonds. It also fostered cultural citizenship and a sense of belonging within a diverse community (including seniors, families, workers, unhoused individuals encountered at practice sites, local organizations, etc.).
La terre sous nos ongles is a dance- and movement-focused cultural project that took place in Montreal’s Chinatown from May to August 2026. Responding to strong demand from individuals and organizations in Chinatown, this project continued the work (started with Manger nos racines) of fostering cultural citizenship among seniors while also highlighting and revitalizing the neighborhood. Seniors who have been regularly participating in our workshops for over three years have expressed a strong desire for these activities to continue.
These projects have received funding from the PSIC.
Paifang
Paifang is an intergenerational queer Asian collective. They aim to create a pathway for Queer Asians and the broader 2SLGBTQIA + community to connect with
Chinatown, to establish their sense of belonging in the space, and to build relationships with the Chinatown community.
In 2024, the collective organized the first queer festival in Chinatown, featuring cultural workshops and drag performances. This intergenerational programme attracted over 300 people, activating both indoor and outdoor venues in Chinatown.
From 2025 onward, Paifang organized a wide range of workshops and community events in partnership with collaborators, including a full programming for the third annual Chinatown Day.