10 trendy outings to do during the holidays

The holiday season is often a good time to visit places of worship. For many, it will be a moment of contemplation and for others the opportunity to attend an artistic performance.

Here is a list of activities to do while there is still time that could inspire you for future school trips:

1- Aura: Notre-Dame Basilica

Rebuilt in 1830, the Notre-Dame basilica is an art object in itself. The architect of the time, James O'Donnell, drew inspiration from the two towers of the Paris Cathedral to establish the plans for the new construction. Since 2017, this place of worship has offered visitors the opportunity to discover artistic works from another angle thanks to a multimedia show created by the Montreal company Moment Factory.

2- Aurōrae: Montreal Planetarium

In 2015, a team from the Montreal Planetarium traveled to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to record more than 179,000 images of the Northern Lights. Until December 30, come to the Planetarium to experience a polar night in the company of scientific animators and let yourself be lulled by these natural works of art to the rhythm of the music of DJ Champion.

3- Alteranima: Sherbrooke Nature and Science Museum

Eric Jean, co-artistic director and director for the theater company Les 2 Mondes, worked for more than three years to set up the new permanent exhibition of the Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Sciences. It offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in a fantastic universe where animals of several species come together. Thanks to an electronic tablet at their disposal, visitors will be able to learn more about three hundred stuffed specimens.

4- Exquisite Corpse: Phi Center (for informed public)

The Phi Center, a multifunctional place at the cutting edge of technology, presents, until mid-January, the work Cadavre exquis. An unusual graphic or collective writing game that saw the light of day during the surrealism movement at the start of the 20th century, the concept of the exquisite corpse will be put forward using virtual reality during this exhibition.

5- MTL Generations: Pointe-à-Callière Museum

The Pointe-à-Callière Museum plays host to several temporary and permanent exhibitions throughout the year. One of them, Générations MTL, allows visitors to dive into the heart of Montreal's history, thanks to a unique multimedia universe created from scratch by the Montreal company TKNL.

6- Illumi, magic of lights: Laval

The creator of Cavalia, Normand Latourelle, invites young and old to stroll, until January 5, inside the largest sound and light trail in the world.

7- Imagine Van Gogh: Arsenal contemporary art

This exhibition will present, until the end of January, the work of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. The visitor will dive into the artist's universe through giant images extracted from his paintings and projected onto extraordinary volumes: walls, floor, pillars. Arsenal contemporary art, the largest private art center in Canada, is located in the heart of the Griffintown district in a former 19th century shipyard.

8- La Hutte: Great Library of Montreal

On January 3, the digital creation laboratory of the Espace Jeunes de la Grande Bibliothèque will welcome children aged 8 to 13 for a programming workshop. A few steps away, his big brother, Le Square, offers teenagers the opportunity to explore different creative methods such: stop-motion animation, comics, photography, glitch art and 3D modeling.

9- Head in the clouds: Musée de la civilization in Quebec

Studies show that young people between the ages of 20 and 24 spend more than 25 hours per week on the Internet, the equivalent of three full days of work. How to find the right balance? This exhibition aims to bring the visitor to question the place that digital occupies in our lives.

10- 887 by Robert Lepage: Théâtre Le Diamant in Quebec

Inaugurated last August, the Le Diamant theater presents, until January 2, the play 887 produced by Robert Lepage and in which the use of new technologies allows the artist to develop ingenious sets. If you don't have the chance to see this production, pick up the book in augmented reality to delve into the author's childhood memories.

Finally, if you prefer to stay warm and have a good time with your family, let yourself be transported into the Nordic universe of the film. The legend of Sarila, the first entirely Quebec-based 3D animated film released in 2013.

Happy Holidays time!