As part of a hearing at the National Assembly on the finance bill for 2018, On Tuesday 7 November, Françoise Nyssen recalled that the State’s effort in favour of culture would not only be preserved in 2018 – in accordance with the campaign commitment of the President of the Republic – but strengthened in relation to 2017 (€10 billion).
She presented the priority projects deployed next year, in the service of a cultural policy called «proximity». Her ambition is to “catch up with all those who today feel on the side of the road,” she said: citizens excluded from cultural policies, and more broadly those who are in a situation of economic, social or geographical exclusion.
This local cultural policy will be based on a rebalancing of the budget in favour of the territories (€860m of decentralized appropriations in 2018, up +6%); a new framework for contractualisation with local authorities; and four privileged relays :
1- The school, universal public service that must enable every child to build up through artistic practice and reading, from an early age.
The Minister announced for 2018:
- The mobilization of €3 million for the development of choirs at school with the objective of going from 1 school in 4 with a choir today to 1 in 2 by the start of September 2018; and 100% by the following year;
- The creation of a “School Music Festival”, the first of which will take place on June 21, 2018;
- Launch of a twinning policy for 100% of schools associated with a local cultural institution (labelled structures, heritage places, structures supported by communities) 2022, to encourage cultural outings and activities.
The Minister also clarified the Design method and Culture Pass calendar, which will extend this youth policy: the tool and the scope of the offer will be co-built with future users, namely young people, and the different stakeholders (partners, local authorities). The consultation will be launched in December. A first editorial offer will be ready in September 2018.
2- LibrariesThe Ministry of Culture will help them become “cultural public service houses”.
The Minister announced for 2018:
- A goal of transforming 200 libraries, or 2 per department, by the end of 2018. The drac will be at the disposal of local actors to support the opening projects, which the State will accompany financially (under evaluation through an inspection mission).
3- The heritage, cultural resource spread across the territory.
The Minister announced that she will present her multi-year heritage strategy on Friday, November 17.
She also confirmed for 2018: the strengthening of the means of maintenance and restoration (+5%, €326 million), with priority given to small municipalities (new fund of €15 million specific, mainly for municipalities with less than 2,000 inhabitants) the strengthening of resources dedicated to the revitalization of old centres and remarkable heritage sites (€9 million).
4- Artists and creators, which are the essence of cultural life and the most likely to reach all audiences throughout the territory.
The Minister announced:
- The strengthening of the means in direction: artistic projects that go ahead of audiences far from cultural policies – through roaming, rural residences, exhibitions outside the walls (€3 million); the increased openness of labeled structures, especially during school holidays, to promote the meeting between artists and the youngest (€3 million).
- Compensation for the increase in the CSG for artists-authors: the principle is established, and the technical solution chosen will be quickly specified;
- The upcoming presentation of Roch-Olivier Maistre’s report on the “Maison commune de la musique”;
- The sustainable strengthening of the Ministry of Culture’s support for the promotion of French music internationally: the increase in its contribution to the Music Export Bureau in 2018 will be continued in the following years.