Culture and Rurality
A cultural policy at the service of the public and rural territories.
Culture is today a factor of attractiveness and contributes to the economic development of rural areas in deep social change. Whether they are populations in situations of social and financial difficulty, or populations seeking a better quality of life and accustomed to a quality cultural environment and proximity, It is up to the Ministry of Culture to implement a policy of cultural democratization and territorial cohesion, taking into account the Law on Spatial Planning (MATPAM). It invites the public authorities to be vigilant about the balance of the cultural offer between the «metropolitan poles» and the «rural territorial poles».
The partnership established over the past thirty years between the ministries responsible for culture and agriculture has accompanied this ambition throughout the country.
A supranational dimension has been given by the European Community with the creation, in each Member State, of a ' rural network national. Declined at regional level in 26 regional networks, it helps to «decompartmentalize spaces, actors and themes».
It brings together all the actors benefiting from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), managed since 2015 by the Regional Councils. The Commissariat Général à l'égalité des Territoires (CGET), the Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt and the Association des régions françaises (ARF) are responsible for this. (Overview of the work of the French rural network 2007- 2013)
An inter-ministerial cultural policy
The cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Forestry has evolved considerably and has continued to expand its fields of intervention.
It is based on the 1984 protocol, renewed in 1990, which aimed to promote and enhance the creation, dissemination and cultural and artistic practice in ways adapted to the rural environment. It relied mainly on the network of agricultural high schools, one of whose missions is to «participate in the animation of the rural environment». Enriched by the 2010 National Food Program (NAP), and the 2011 Rural Plan, this policy was reinforced on September 23, 2011 by the signing of a framework agreement «Food, Agri-Culture».
The National Food Programme (PNA)
It contributes to the construction of a living link between the citizen, his land and his culture. In November 2010, The gastronomic meal of the French, participating social element of the the culture frenchmane, was registered in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco.
In 2014, a second Program national of thehaslimentation was integrated into the loi ofhasvebe for agriculturere, food and the forest. It is structured around four axes: social justice; youth food education; the fight against food waste and territorial anchoring and heritage development.
The rural plan (action plan for the cultural development of rural areas)
In 2011, the Ministry of Culture programmed a Rural Plan, which consisted of nine actions and four axes:
Strategy axis territories and inhabitants
Action 1: better anchoring cultural practices in the daily lives of populations: networking of equipment, roaming...
Heritage and creation axis
Action 2: from the development of heritage in rural areas to the birth of real «cultural landscapes» built by rural populations
Action 3: rebalance and make more attractive the cultural offer for rural populations
Action 4: Promote Artist and Writer Residencies in Rural Areas
Arts and cultural education and development
Action 5: artistic and cultural education and development for all audiences
Action 6: development of digital practices
Promotion of territories/tourism/cultural economy
Action 7: Actions for the digitisation of cultural and digital content
Action 8: Actions in the field of tourism and heritage development
Action 9: cultural economy in rural areas
Action 10: a new cultural mediation around food heritage
The new mapping of territories
The Food/Agri-Culture protocol of September 2011 aims to rebalance culturally neglected areas, whether rural or peri-urban. It takes into account the three legislative components of the territorial reform: the law of modernization of territorial public action and affirmation of metropolises of January 27, 2014, known as MAPTAM, the new map of regions and the NOTRe law.
On March 13, 2015, the Interministerial Committee for Rural Development recommends 12 «diversified cultural practices at the heart of rural areas» with as an indicator the number of formalized cultural development agreements between the State and local authorities. The progress report of 14 September 2015 in Vesoul mentioned 351 conventions.
Partners at the service of regional networking
Many partners contribute to this spin-off and work in synergy while involving the population and local stakeholders. This cooperation is now relayed by various partners: cultural institutions, national or regional cultural events, labels under the Ministry of Culture or regional nature parks. Artist residencies, regional resource centres (regional book centres, image centres, etc.) are all tools for local cultural development.
Cultural institutions
The Ministry of Culture and local authorities jointly support the cultural institutions of performing arts, cinema and heritage. These institutions have the mission to address all populations, to fight territorial and social inequalities of access to culture and their public services ensure mediation work to reach the most remote populations.
Two networks have really become anchors to offer a wider cultural offer. Municipal and departmental lending libraries that play a cultural, educational and social role in all territories and departmental archives that value their heritage through virtual or traveling exhibitions lent free to municipalities.
Regional nature parks
Created in 1967 by DATAR, in the form of mixed unions, the 51 regional nature parks (PNR) are co-financed by the State and local authorities. They are overseen by the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE) and the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Equality and Rurality (METLR).
A national framework agreement was signed in 2015 between the Federation of Regional Nature Parks and the Ministry of Culture.
The parks, inseparable elements of the spatial planning policy, are indispensable partners in the balance of rural local life. They have an engineering support and bring added value to the member municipalities. Their main missions are:
- the preservation of natural, cultural and landscape heritage;
- cultural activities;
- spatial planning;
- public education and awareness;
- experimentation with new policies.
Beyond heritage and cultural structures, many call for artist residencies in the fields of visual arts, books, performing arts, architecture…
The labels
The awarding of labels by the Ministry of Culture aims to highlight the richness and diversity of cultural and natural heritage: "Cities or countries of art and history", "Houses of the illustrious", "Heritage of the XXe century/ Remarkable contemporary architecture», «Remarkable gardens» or "Museums of France".
Learn more about labels in the Great East
The remarkable sites of taste
Awarded since 1995, the label Remarkable sites of taste is structured around four food themes: drinks, fruit, seafood and land products. The charter established by their National Federation highlights criteria of excellence and the links between an emblematic product of the terroir, local production and a heritage, landscape and human environment.
Cultural centres of encounter
Created in 1972, the Ccultural encounters holders of an original intellectual and artistic project, are both places of memory and creation, mainly hosted in heritage sites in rural areas. The Association of Cultural Meeting Centres (ACCR) coordinates them.
Cultural Routes
Launched by the Council of Europe in 1987, the Icultural tinéraires of the Ccouncil of Europe The Ministries of Culture and Tourism are responsible for at least three member countries. They stress the importance of culture in the construction of European citizenship and a common heritage. These routes, built as European tourist routes, mostly heritage with cultural themes, are generally aimed at young people with a sustainable development perspective.
Agricultural education
Learn more
The tools of cultural development
The DRAC contributes to the cultural development of rural areas and the expansion of audiences through partnerships and agreements with local authorities: cultural development agreements, Contract territory reading, artist residency (in and out of school time)...
Development of the Micro-folies project in the Great East
The «Micro-Folies» project is a new cultural development tool that addresses priority cultural territories and the areas of life least well endowed with cultural facilities, in order to respond to the problems of democratic access to culture.
The aim is to create, within an existing cultural structure, an original and innovative place offering:
- a digital museum: a virtual gallery of 500 masterpieces to be discovered in digital form, accompanied by mediation actions;
- a library/ Toy library: a programme of activities available free of charge to all. A reading room, games on loan, educational workshops...
- a scenic space/ café: Micro-madness is above all a place of life and conviviality and exchanges. Catering, balls, theater, cinema... are offered.
Inspired by the Folies du Parc de La Villette designed by the architect Bernard Tschumi, this innovative project is led by the Ministry of Culture and coordinated by La Villette.
Interested communities are invited to contact the Micro-Fund project manager at the public establishment of the Grande Halle de la Villette (EPPGHV) and the DRAC Grand Est.