What does the DRAC do?
The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) Grand Est, under the authority of the Regional Prefect, manages and implements, on the regional territory, the policies of the Ministry of Culture.
"To make accessible to the greatest number the capital works of humanity; to promote the creation of works of art and of the spirit; to develop artistic practices; to implement, together with the other interested ministries, the actions carried out by the State with a view to ensuring the spread of French culture and fostering exchanges with other cultures of the world, such are the missions of the Ministry of Culture and Communication".(Decree No. 59-889 of 24 July 1959 establishing the Ministry of Culture).
Missions
The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) Grand Est, a decentralized department of the Ministry of Culture, under the authority of the Regional Prefect, coordinates and implements in the territory of the Grand Est region the cultural policy of the State. Its missions focus on heritage, artistic creation and cultural industries.
Since 1977, the Regional Cultural Affairs Directorates have been responsible for steering and implementing in the regions the policies of the Ministry of Culture, in coordination or support of those of the other actors (local authorities, public inter-communal cooperation institutions and associations).
The DRAC ensures the application of laws and regulations in the cultural field and provides a variety of intervention, facilitation, advisory, control and evaluation functions in all areas of responsibility of the ministry.
Since 2016, following the merger of the regions, the headquarters of the DRAC Grand Est is located in Strasbourg. The Strasbourg site also hosts the Creative Division; the Metz site hosts the Cultural Democratization and Cultural Industries Division and the Châlons-en-Champagne site hosts the Heritage Division.
Since 2010, the Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP) are an integral part of the DRAC, the DRAC Grand Est includes 10 UDAP, in the 10 departments that the region has.
In application of the Decree no. 2010-633 on 8 June 2010, the Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs is responsible for conducting the State’s cultural policy in the region and its departments, particularly in the areas of:
- knowledge, protection, conservation and exploitation of the heritage;
- the promotion of architecture;
- support for artistic creation and dissemination in all their components;
- the development of books and reading;
- arts and cultural education and the transmission of knowledge;
- the promotion of cultural diversity and the broadening of audiences;
- the development of the economy of culture and cultural industries;
- the promotion of the French language and the languages of France.
- It participates in spatial planning, sustainable development and social cohesion policies, and in the evaluation of public policies.
- It shall contribute to scientific research in matters within its competence.
- It contributes to the dissemination of public data on culture in the region and its departments.
- It monitors the application of the regulations and carries out scientific and technical checks in the above areas in liaison with the other competent departments of the Ministry of Culture.
- It ensures the conduct of State actions, develops cooperation with local and regional authorities to whom it can provide, as necessary, its technical support.
- It ensures the coherence of the action carried out in its area by the public institutions under this ministry.
- It accompanies and supports the development of patronage in the territory.
Organization
To carry out these actions, the management (Regional Director, Assistant Director and Associate Directors - Core Businesses) supported by a General Secretariat and of transversal services, coordinates a team with scientific, technical, artistic and administrative skills that is organized around three major poles.
The three poles
- lCreation Division (The division is headquartered in Strasbourg)
- the pole Heritage (the pole’s management is based in Châlons-en-Champagne)
- the democratization and cultural industries pole (the division is based in Metz)
In each department, the DRAC haveDepartmental units of architecture and heritage.
The DRAC Grand Est comprises 10 departmental units: Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Marne, Marne, Meurthe and Moselle, Meuse, Moselle and Vosges.
