On the occasion of her visit to the Angoulême Festival, Françoise Nyssen, Minister of Culture, announced her decision to entrust to Pierre Lungheretti, Director General of the Cité internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l'image, a mission of reflection with the objective of recasting the national policy in favor of comics.

Comics are a major cultural practice¹It occupies a prominent place in contemporary creation and its diffusion is experiencing strong growth. It accounts for almost 10% of publishing turnover. While it has experienced a new boom, public policies have lacked a new ambition. The vitality and importance of this sector justify its full recognition as part of an overall public policy.

A reflection on the policies in favor of the comic book would benefit from considering: the preservation of the heritage of this sector and the regulation of the art market; the exhibition and public dissemination of the comic book in the territories and in Paris, its contribution to arts and cultural education; the training of authors, the various sectors of the image in which they can find their place, and the support of their careers through various public aids.

The mission, which will be carried out in consultation with all the actors concerned, aims to propose strategic and concrete orientations on these axes, likely to structure the action of public actors with regard to comics.

The report of this mission is expected in September.

Director General of the Cité internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l'Image in Angoulême, Pierre Lungheretti was chosen for his extensive knowledge of cultural policies and the comic book sector. He has served as Director of the Cabinet of Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, Assistant to the Director General of Artistic Creation and Regional Director of Cultural Affairs of Poitou-Charentes.

¹ Nearly one in three (29%) French people have read a BD in the last 12 months – Source: DEPS 2012