Theatre and shows in France
At the end of the Second World War, by the will of some pioneering artists, A vast movement of theatrical decentralization takes place that accompanies the reconstruction of the entire country and anticipates the creation of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs that will occur in 1959.
From then on, André Malraux continued the commitment initiated before him in favour of the theatre: he consolidated the budgets of the two existing national theaters, created the third by detaching from the Comédie Française l'Odéon, baptized «Théâtre de France» whose direction was entrusted to Jean-BaptisteLouis Barrault, and decides on the evolution of these theatres into public institutions.
André Malraux also pursued theatrical decentralization by creating new national drama centres from 1961. The department also contributed to the emergence of subsidized troops. Private theatre received support through the creation in 1964 of the private theatre support fund. With the creation of the houses of culture that have become National Stages, a network is formed that meets the pre-existing CDN, two networks that are constantly growing.
The panorama of French theatrical creation is drawn around dedicated venues on the one hand and the vitality of independent teams on the other. Higher education and the integration of young artists remain fundamental issues in the ministry’s policy.
National theatres
The Comédie-Française, the Théâtre national de l'Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, the Théâtre national de la Colline and the Théâtre national de Strasbourg are, together with the Théâtre national de Chaillot, the five national theatres. Pillars of public policy in favor of dramatic art, and dance for Chaillot, these large emblematic scenes of the French performing arts are public institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture (Directorate General of Artistic Creation).
National Drama Centres (NDCs)
The National Drama Centres (NDCs) are emblematic institutions of the dramatic decentralization policy conducted by the State for seventy years (the first five centres were created between 1946 and 1952). Creative and production structures led by one or more artists involved in the theatrical field, NDCs are major and structuring tools for the design, manufacture and production of theatrical works, in a spirit of openness and sharing.
NDCs are places where all dimensions of theatre can meet and be articulated: research, writing, creation, dissemination, training. For each CDN, a dramatic decentralization contract is concluded between the Minister responsible for Culture and the director of the labeled structure, defining the commitments of each party for the implementation of theatrical creation missions of general interest within the scope of the objectives defined by the specifications of the CDN label.
The 38 national drama centres are spread throughout the country and are resolutely committed to the dissemination of theatre to the widest audience. Thus, each season they welcome more than one million paying spectators (1.4 million spectators in all NDCs for the 2015-2016 season).
National stages
Bringing together the former houses of culture (early 1960s), centres of cultural action (from 1967) and centres of cultural development (from 1975), the network of national stages was unified by this label in 1991. Today there are 77, spread over the entire national territory, the vast majority in medium-sized cities with a population of 50 to 200,000.
The national stages offer the public a multidisciplinary program in the field of live performance and, for places with adapted spaces, plastic arts and cinema, reflecting the main currents of contemporary artistic production. They offer artists the means to carry out their research and creative work and offer the population of the establishment’s area an ambitious and diversified cultural action. They also provide advice, guidance and training to professionals and future professionals who work or intend to work with artists and the population.
Conventioned scenes of national interest
As part of the redefinition of labels and conventionality in the performing arts operated by the Ministry of Culture in 2017, the name «conventioned scene of national interest» is awarded (for four years, renewable) a structure recognized for the quality of its programme of artistic and cultural actions. It is accompanied by one of the following three mentions: «Art and creation», for projects developing a sustainable work to support artists and facilitate their creation; «Art, childhood, youth», for projects leading an exemplary cultural action in the accompaniment of young public creation and its inclusion in artistic and cultural education courses; «Art in territory», for projects that focus on artistic and cultural activities that meet people.
National Circus Poles (PNC)
The labeling of the national circus poles (PNC) in 2010 crowned ten years of proactive policy led by the Ministry of Culture to promote the structuring of this discipline and support its artistic development.
The PNC participate in the renewal of artistic forms and aesthetics of the circus. They organize their activities mainly around support missions and support of creation and dissemination in the circus field. They bring together 14 reference institutions in support of the creation, production and dissemination of circus arts. They constitute a structuring network in favor of the circus’s influence, as well as the renewal of its artistic forms and aesthetics for the benefit of the widest public.
National Centres for Street Arts and Public Space (CNAREP)
The structuring of national centres for street arts and public space (CNAREP) and their inclusion among the networks labeled in 2010 is the culmination of a policy of support for the street arts sector and public space implemented for about twenty years.
The CNAREP supports artistic and cultural projects for the public space as well as the paths of the artists by taking support on their territory of implantation. They are the reference institutions for the creation, dissemination and presentation to audiences of artistic projects designed for the public space. They participate in the recognition and qualification of street arts and public spaces. There are now 13 CNAREP spread across the national territory.
National Puppet Centres (CNMa)
The structures labeled CNMa constitute a national reference network that contributes to the development and recognition of puppetry arts. They participate in the renewal of artistic forms and aesthetics of puppetry.
In 2022 and 2023, seven CNMAs across the country were certified. In the medium term, a dozen structures will benefit from this label.
Theatre festivals
Following the example of Avignon, Montpellier («Printemps des comédiens»), Périgueux («Mimos»), Dijon («Théâtre en mai»), Bussang, Charleville-Mézières («Festival mondial des théâtres de marionnettes»), Aurillac, Chalon-sur-Saône (arts de la rue), BIAC (Marseille) or Auch for the circus. More than 20 festivals are also dedicated to creations for young audiences.
Theatre, circus, street art, puppetry, storytelling… France has the distinction of being, together with its network of theatres and festivals, structured theatrically by the support given to independent companies. There are more than 6,000 companies with a licence for performing arts entrepreneurs. A significant number of them target their creations to young audiences.
While some, in the minority, have a workplace that is sometimes shared with other artists, the vast majority are dependent on the production or distribution sites to create their show. Established on a territory, they often carry out an important work of artistic and cultural education and intervene with different audiences (schools, people with disabilities, in a situation of social precariousness, etc.).
About 300 drama companies are contracted by the DRAC for an amount that cannot be less than €50,000 annually; 300 also, often younger in their course and structuring, benefit from the project aid awarded in DRAC. Depending on the policy of their region and city of establishment, they sometimes benefit from the support of local authorities.
12 higher schools of theatre 4 circus colleges the National School of Puppetry in Charleville-Mézières... higher education covers all fields of creation.
Prior to entering higher schools, integrated or non-integrated preparatory classes and «second chance» classes are set up in the territories, in order to ensure that the most diversified profiles possible can be trained. The challenge for the Ministry of Culture is also, within the framework of the attention paid to the career of the artist, to accompany the integration measures for young artists from these higher schools.
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