Address by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, on the occasion of the press conference presenting the Action Plan for the Performing Arts

This ambition and vision, which appears in the correspondence of
Jacques Copeau, I make it my own, I share it. It translates the very heart
what the performing arts are and what they should be.

This is why I wanted to propose an Action Plan for
live performance to show artists, companies, and
their place in public action today. The
is indeed one of the pillars of the action of the ministry
of Culture and Communication. The very history of this ministry and
the history of cultural policies in our country was built in
thanks to the thought and action of personalities from
theatre: it is first of all Firmin Gémier, founder of the national theatre
Popular in the 1920s is Jean Vilar, the father of the Festival,
the man of the National Popular Theatre who invents Avignon, which we will celebrate
the centenary of the birth in 2012, but also Jeanne Laurent, after
the Second World War, the pioneer of the so-called
theatrical decentralization”.

This eminent place of the living spectacle in our country drew a
landscape. It has sparked the emergence of artists from
made France a reference country, by the quality of its
choreographic production, the prestige of its directors, its
conductors or soloists, by the emergence of new disciplines
such as the street arts or the contemporary circus, the revival of the
puppetry, its orchestras and opera, its festivals and
contemporary music.

The live performance has managed to maintain a high level of demand
artistic. It continues to attract a large and diverse audience:
excellent attendance figures confirm this.

I want to congratulate industry professionals for this positive development.

Over the past three seasons, we have indeed recorded a
significant increase: the attendance of all the
show, public and private, increased by 10% from 28.9 million
spectators at 31.7 million.

Continuous and proactive action by both the State and its partners
has been conducted in recent years so that the live show is
recognized as a full-fledged economic and social sector. This was
translated by important advances: the negotiation of conventions
the professionalization of entry into the trades, the introduction of
Framework Agreement for the Development of Employment and
skills (ADEC).

The intermittence regime has been preserved, as you know, with the
extension last March of Annexes 8 and 10 to the UNEDIC agreement
until 31 December 2013.

Nevertheless, as everyone here knows, the performing arts sector knows
structural difficulties in recent years. This is a crisis
of profitable growth for the entire national territory but
likely to create imbalances due to several reasons:
- Stabilization of public funding which could threaten margins;
institutions and reduce development opportunities
for independent companies and ensembles;
- the lack of legibility of the various public interventions because of
sometimes inconsistent overlays;
- the difficulties encountered in broadcasting the performances created;
- insufficient professionalisation of the sector, which is a source of
precariousness.

These imbalances call for a clear and effective response from the State. I am there
have been attached since my arrival in July 2009 rue de Valois. And the plan
This action plan is part of this recasting ambition.

First, I would like to make a few comments on
Policy I have conducted since 2009:

First of all, I protected the budget for live entertainment.

I fought to preserve a budget that was threatened.

In 2009, I received €15 million in new measures.

Then I obtained from the President of the Republic a
credits for the period 2011-13. This sanctuarization
has helped to preserve the fundamental balances of the sector. I
also obtained the total thaw of the culture budget in 2010 and 2011.

In this context, I wanted my department to proceed with
DRAC to a rebalancing of means. Reconciliations, projects
pooled, this will allow us to redeploy 6.2 million euros between
2011 and 2013 in the least endowed regions: of the 21 DRAC
12 regions will thus obtain the means
additional.

With regard to Budget 2012 3.5 million new measures
will feed into the action plan I will present to you in a
instant.

Since 2009, I have been developing the organization of labels and
departmental networks:

I took into account three major issues:
- Amplifying the presence of artists at the heart of networks supported by
my Department, taking better account of the balance between disciplines
(dance, music, theatre, street arts, puppetry and circus).
- Better production and dissemination of created shows.
- Strengthening the legibility of State interventions by deepening a
strategic consultation with local authorities.

These three issues were the subject of a collective reflection led by the
General Directorate of Artistic Creation and DRAC with elected officials
and professionals. It led us to the development of
important texts: the circular, accompanied by ten mission books
and charges, which I signed and forwarded to the prefects in September
2010. Texts that for the first time specify the
Charges and mission of institutions supported by my ministry.

These texts are not mere abstract documents, far from the
artistic realities, they actually contain changes
important policies in the conduct of live entertainment policy and
better respond to the challenges that arise in a
the increasingly open creation, marked by the circulation of teams and
works. These texts are a strong response to the need to
clarification of the ministry’s interventions, often accused of
“sprinkle” its means. This readability effort was expected, it is
has now become a reality. In the future, it will
more coherent and effective live performance.

I would like to briefly highlight the main elements they have
introduced:
- With regard to the method adopted for drawing them up,
broad consultation with elected officials and professionals,
- for the first time in the history of the Ministry,
a corpus of information on the missions of certified institutions. They
include requirements for co-production and
in the field of cultural dissemination and democratization and
recalls the multidisciplinary missions of the national scenes.

These texts reinforce the means granted to certified structures: with
an intervention rate of 50% of public funding for the centres
National Drama (NDC), with a floor level of
ministry of 500,000 for national scenes € and a perspective
identical for national choreographic centres (NCCs).

They set the procedures for the recruitment of directors. So far the
recruitment had not been the subject of a reference text but
were based on custom.

These texts have created 2 new labels. I see this as a sign of confidence and
recognition of the performing arts and their ability
innovation and creation:
- The National Street Arts Centres (CNAR), which gave rise to the
certification of 8 structures in 2010, with 1 more in the process of
labelling.
- The National Centres of Circus Arts (PNAC), which
label 10 establishments in 2010, 2 others will be labelled before the end
of the year.

These are strong political decisions that give recognition
two innovative disciplines.
These texts also establish the network of Development Centres
Choreographic (CDC) and their specifications. These establishments
play a major role in the diffusion of dance, culture
and perform outstanding cultural action
as close as possible to the territories.

No disengagement, no lack of ambition in the arts, but
the idea of an overall overhaul of our
live performance to make it more visible and attractive.

I have also undertaken a thorough review with elected officials and
professionals on the following topics:
- international action,
- collaboration between private and public theatre,
- Policy developments for companies and groups;
independents.

These three themes were the subject of working groups led by the
Direction Générale de la Création Artistique (DGCA) of my department.

This collective reflection has led to courses of action
The European Union’s Structural Funds are the only way to achieve this.

I have also strengthened the dialogue with local and regional authorities

Local and regional authorities are an essential partner of the Ministry in
the field of live entertainment. They finance almost 70% of the activities
institutions under our decentralized appropriations. I hoped that the
Valois talks are being conducted at the territorial level, in order to
a shared diagnosis with elected officials. I focused on making the Council
Local authorities for the development of culture
(CCTDC), which I chair, a true forum for dialogue and
meetings. Its last sessions were particularly dense and
I have also revived the agreements between my department and
communities. I’ll come back to that.

A lot has been said and written about appointments. Torrents of paper,
sometimes invective, drawing attention to a few isolated cases. Now
When I arrived on rue de Valois, I made 40 appointments in the
of the performing arts. In all situations, I have
take into consideration the public interest – the famous res publica – of which I
am the guarantor. I have also made sure to promote aesthetic pluralism,
balance between disciplines. I have also worked to strengthen gender diversity
between generations by providing access to the management of centres
Richard Brunel at the Centre Dramatique
Arnaud Meunier in Saint-Etienne, Mathieu Bauer in
Montreuil, Joanny Bert recently in Montluçon, Thomas Lebrun and
Joan Leighton at the Centre Chorégraphique National de Tours and Belfort.

Even if I come a majority of men, I want to point out that I am
extremely attentive to what in the cultural field, and in that of the
creation in particular, the presence of
creators in the direction and governance of cultural institutions
as well as the presence of their works in the
directories. I will soon make proposals on these topics in the
framework of the interdepartmental plan for gender equality in
preparation.

I wanted to change some national structures:
- I have decided to bring the Théâtre national de Chaillot and the
National Dance Centre to make them complementary,
in the field of production and cultural action, in order to
improve service to professionals and audiences.
- I wished that Théâtre Ouvert, whose 40th anniversary we are celebrating here,
become a National Centre for Contemporary Dramaturgies, for
recognize the specificity of its missions and the unique role that this
institution plays in the national landscape in favor of authors.

I contributed resolutely to the revival of the Philharmonie building site.

I made a strong commitment that the President of the Republic and the
Mayor of Paris jointly take the decision to relaunch a
operation that was then stopped. In my opinion, this is a strong signal
the musical world, in France but also in Europe and the world, which
the State’s ambition in the field of music, and
music education, for which the Philharmonie will establish a
resources at national level.

I have embarked on an innovative and ambitious policy for the overseas territories.

The report I commissioned from Michel Collardelle and my many
movements in these territories have led me to take the measure of
their artistic and cultural wealth, but also their lack of
professional organization and exchanges with the metropolis. Several
projects are under consideration, including a Scene of
current music (SMAC) and a Development Center
Choreographic in Guyana, a national stage at Reunion Island, a SMAC
and a bipolar national scene in Guadeloupe, agreements
for companies in all territories, finally a new
conservatory in Martinique.

As you can see, over the past two years, I have been
the most pragmatic and effective reform of the
public support system for live entertainment, based on a
stabilized budget, also deepening the joint reflection with
local and regional authorities.

It is from this observation and from this assessment that I wished better
define the general orientations of the State, better affirm its values
to give new impetus to the organization
policy. That is what this plan is all about.
The European Parliament’s
main priorities.

It has four fundamental objectives:
1 - Strengthening the place of artists and creation in networks
supported by the Ministry, through increased support for
emergence, innovation and the independent sector,
2 - Continuing the structuring of employment,
3- Increase support for artistic emergence and renewal,
4 - Developing European and international action
the offer of shows tends to open up to wide horizons, at least in
Europe, it is true that this is a formidable tool for growth and
development for companies and artistic teams.

The press kit that will be given to you details the main
provisions of the ten measures and related financing.

For fiscal year 2012, I got 3.5 M of new measures. All
of the plan will mobilize 12 M€ for the period 2011-13, in addition to 6.2 million
I would like to thank the Commission and the Council for their excellent work.

Finally, the two missions for extra-budgetary financing that I have
launched recently - one on the musical sector, the other on the show
living - will amplify the key priorities of this plan.

1 – The first objective is to strengthen the place of creation within
the politics of the performing arts.

This plan provides new means for the independent sector, for
musical ensembles, choreographic and theatrical companies.
$2.5 million will be mobilized over 2011-13 and allocated to RDCA. I intend
support production offices for artistic projects in order to
not create unnecessary structural costs.

I also wish to entrust quickly to the National Broadcasting Office
Artistic (ONDA) a study on the conditions of production and
independent sector. We need an analysis
in-depth to adjust departmental policy to reflect
developments observed.

A fund to support emergence and innovation will be created in 2012 to
support projects that do not find their place in the schemes
existing, because of their unique or innovative character.
will result in the introduction of new credits up to 1
million and will operate on the basis of an annual call for projects.

Increased support for the writing of the performing arts, such as
musical, dramatic and choreographic commissions, will be
works. The place of authors and composers within institutions
will be amplified.

Digital arts play an increasingly important role in the evolution of
language of creation, writing and the diffusion of the show. I
wishes that this place be better taken into account. The
Villeneuve-Lès-Avignon, the national centre for show writing, is
will be given a role of head of network for digital creation, in link
with the National Drama Centres (NDCs) that placed this
dimension at the heart of their artistic projects.

2 – The second goal I have set is to continue the
structuring of employment

The State and the social partners have worked together a great deal
in recent years to structure employment in this sector and in particular
to accompany the professional careers of artists: after the
collective agreement for public entertainment, the negotiation of
collective agreement of the private theatre should be concluded soon,
entry into the professions is becoming more professional, thanks to the
Commission paritaire nationale Emploi-Formation, thanks to the creation of
degrees, to the ongoing reorganization of educational institutions
and the development of alternance training.

I think it is important to give a new impetus to stabilise and
to strengthen the conditions under which artists, particularly
actors and dancers carry out their activities. That is why I
wishes to support the creation of permanent troops within the Centres
National Drama (NDC) and National Choreographic Centres
(NCC). This measure, which will be addressed to directors who so wish,
will be endowed with 1 million euros. It will initially have a
experimental character. The projects presented must value the assets
which will be developed from the formation of a troop, be it
for the creation of a repertoire, for dissemination and resumption or
the field of cultural action. At the same time, the
support for companionship will be developed.

3 – The third objective concerns the presentation of performances and the
presence of the live show in the heart of the territories.

The world of circus and street arts will be better accompanied:
sides of the traditional circus, to which attention should be paid
the vitality of the creative circus. The
Street arts are now anchored in our landscape and are carriers
a renewal of artistic languages and vocabularies. One and
the other are par excellence arts of roaming. It was appropriate to their
to give recognition by the introduction of two new labels,
the national centres of circus arts and the national centres
arts, which I mentioned earlier. Their missions will be
and will be the subject of new resources to the tune of €800,000.

I gave increased support to dance networks: I wanted to
establish the network of Development Centres by circular
choreography, which presents approximately 250 performances of
which contributes in an essential way to the dissemination of culture
throughout the territory. His recognition as
network supported by the ministry will be accompanied by 400,000 € of measures
news.

I announced at the Festival de Bourges a plan in favor of the
Musiques Actuelles (SMAC): these institutions have proven since their
creation in the 1990s their essential role in promoting the
musical pluralism, in their support for new talents and in their
cultural action. SMAC is one of the tools
available to deal with concentration in the
music and for authentic cultural diversity.

This five-year SMAC plan will benefit from €2.4 million by
2013. It will reach the number of 100 SMAC by 2015 and
access to the €75,000 floor financing for
institutions not yet benefiting from it.
I wanted to strengthen the network of 70 national stages. Their role in
The European Commission’s
knows, essential.

Thus, in 2010, I decided to raise the funding floor of my
which will now amount to 500,000 . € 17 national stages
will be upgraded within the next 3 years. I have to do this
mobilized a new €2.6 million measure for 2011-13.

I decided to create 4 new national scenes, promoting
multipolar structures, working as close as possible to the public:
- three multi-polar national stages: Toulon (bringing together
Châteauvallon and the Théâtre Liberté), the national stage of the Oise
(bringing together Compiègne and Beauvais and eventually Creil) and the
Jura.
- The Perpignan archipelago and its beautiful Mediterranean project.

The national scenes are now invited to expand their action with
the actors of cultural action present in their territory. In close
consultation with local authorities, I have
appointments of directors, in order to strengthen disciplinary diversity within
network. So we have more and more national scenes directed
by personalities from the world of music or dance
with a view to rebalancing the disciplines I highlighted.

I would like to see regional programmes led by
DRAC. They are not intended to create an additional label, but
will enable peri-urban and rural municipalities to integrate into a
regional network. This is the meaning of our reflection on the
stage agreements, city theatres and ongoing reform
criteria that guide the work of expert committees. I
takes an attentive look at the experience of
territories» conducted in Brittany. This is perhaps an example to meditate on,
a model to be evaluated as it ensures a presence
where it enables the development of a network for broadcasting
where it fosters the emergence of partnerships for
arts education.

Finally, I have asked national public institutions to expand their
territorial action and develop partnerships with communities
the National Dance Centre, the National Dance Centre, the
the City of Music. These new partnerships
to better take into account regional and
to develop new projects in the field of
live performance than cultural action.

4 – The fourth objective concerns the European presence and
international.

French shows are well present abroad but they must be
better disseminated, as shown by a recent NEB study
National Artistic Diffusion (ONDA). It is necessary to amplify this
encouraging trend.
I will increase the number of specialized offices abroad, on the
model of the Berlin and London offices, which have shown their effectiveness.

The aim is to create networks for international distribution and co-production
to accompany the structures in the projects they present
to the European Commission. This will usefully complement the
of the new French Institute.

Six new offices will be created in the next three years,
with my colleague Alain Juppé, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
My Ministry will provide an additional €550,000 to
strengthen this mechanism.

I have also decided to encourage the creation of European
production and distribution on French territory.

This is not a new label. These clusters will provide a flexible framework
throughout the life of a project, for institutions
cultural groups wishing to pool their
production and management. This type of structure will encourage
co-productions in Europe: they are already important and should eventually
play an increasingly important role in the entertainment economy
communities. Fruitful dialogue has begun
a study was launched with them. An envelope of 400,000
is reserved for the prefiguration of the first projects selected.

This measure will be supplemented by a recovery fund with a view to
support international outreach. This is one avenue that will be explored
by the mission on the financing of live entertainment.

The implementation of this plan will take place, as I have already pointed out, in the
the framework for in-depth consultation with local and regional authorities,
already committed. Communities are an essential part of cultural life
of our country and an engine for the cultural development of the territories.

At the level of a territory, we must jointly identify the issues and
means. At the level of a territory, we must act together to
more concerted and coordinated approach across all areas
performing arts – creation, artistic teachings, dissemination. These
projects will now be the subject of triennial agreements. The
was signed last May with communities in the region.
Languedoc-Roussillon and several are currently in preparation.

State and local authorities, we are all confronted today
budget context. However, this pause in the
growth in resources has not resulted in a reduction in
ambitions.

I presented you my project and my ambition for the live show.

Its tremendous vitality is expressed both by the commitment of artists and by
public development: I want to support it, I want to support it,
I want to strengthen it. It is a chance for artistic life and
our country’s economy, it is an opportunity for democratic life,
it is finally a chance to face the world, sometimes indecipherable and
complex, of the 21st century. To understand this world with the eyes of
the artist, with the radiant power and indomitable freedom of the one who
walks on the "crest of the world", far away from the daily rustling,
far from the fakes and standardized images that assail us
every day. This look is more precious than ever, this look is more
Jacques Copeau (1879-1949), a man of
theatre, man dedicated to his art to the smallest breath, man
which called for inventing “new frontiers” and
the great vessel of the theatre, said nothing else: To the
campaign! In the countryside! Yes in the countryside, in front of a real audience,
open, generous! Our ideas will clear up in the great sun».

It is in this spirit of openness, innovation and proposal that
I intend to act in the coming months: at the service of artists and
structures that accompany them, serving all audiences and
happiness that invades us, whatever our condition, whatever our
our imagination, when the light goes out and the stage opens before
our eyes, full of surprises and full of hope. For it is all human
which is revealed in the experience of the scene, in this mirror, which is also
a place of life, in this punctual gathering of women and men
which is sometimes a confrontation, sometimes a communion, but always a
exchange. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Thank you for your
attention and I am at your disposal to answer your questions.