Placed under the sign of genius creators, on the one hand, hit by the news, on the other, the year 2022 will have kept all its promises. With, between these two extremes, the pursuit of proactive policies, such as the access of all to the cultural offer, the revival of cultural activities, especially cinemas, or the development of the Culture Pass, and the organization of major events, such as the cultural programming of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union or the 40th anniversary of the Fête de la musique.
2022 will not have been spared, as in previous years, by the hottest news. The war in Ukraine, with its movements of artists, intellectuals and journalists who were received on French territoryhas since February 24 – the date of the beginning of the Russian invasion – created a genuine surge of solidarity. What is at stake? Nothing less than the preservation of Ukrainian culture », according to Rima Abdul Malak, Minister of Culture.
Started under the auspices of the fourth centenary of Molière’s death, continued with the anniversaries of Proust and of Picasso, prolonged by the disappearance of Pierre Soulages and that of Jean-Luc Godard, this year will also be marked by the vitality of the celebrations of these sacred monsters of French culture. A vitality not focused on the past, but on the contrary particularly dynamic and inspiring for the younger generations of creators.
Reinventing the place of culture in the European project
First big event of the year, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which was held on 1er January to June 30, 2022, was a unique opportunity to raise awareness through a cultural agenda the richness and diversity of French know-how.
Throughout the first half of the year, events followed one another, which showed the vitality of the European project in France, especially among young people (this was the case with the event Eurofabrique, which mobilized 400 students from French and European higher education around the identity of the Europe of tomorrow, or that of the Demos Europe Orchestra, which brought together an orchestral training of 120 young musicians from the 27 countries of the European Union) and in a participatory approach (like “Dance Europe!”, the project of participative choreography imagined by Angelin Preljocaj, who federated citizens from all countries of the European Union). An undeniable success.
Another key appointment: the Cross Season France-Portugal, which mobilized the cultural resources of both countries, kept all its promises. From prestigious exhibitions, such as the one on the Portuguese Renaissance at the Louvre Museum, to the most cutting-edge creations, such as those of the French Joël Pommerat, Boris Charmatz and Sylvain Creuzevault presented in Porto and Lisbon, and from the Ocean Forum to the Equality Forum, this season will have contributed, in the words of Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, its president, to reinvent the dialogue ».
Reinventing the place of the territories
Reinventing dialogue also means addressing everyone, especially those who are far from the cultural offer. To this end, the Ministry of Culture has mobilized itself, making – among other things – the bet of territories through several unprecedented initiatives, including, first of all, the designation, on the model of the European Cultural Capitals, of the French capital of culture. For one year, Villeurbanne, first winner of the label, presented an original program, focusing on the local scene: Valère Novarinaone of the most demanding authors of contemporary theatre, tribute to Charb and press drawing, by way of spotlight on the local scene of the puppet, of contemporary art and of the dancing. In 2023, the designation of the next capital should be made public.
To reach audiences far from the cultural offer, all possibilities are exploited. Starting with the implementation of structures labelled by the Ministry of Culture developing an ambitious project in rural areas, peri-urban areas or industrial areas. Another innovative initiative is the inter-ministerial «Action coeur de ville» initiative, which aims to rehabilitate the centres of medium-sized cities. The example ofAutun, a city with a rich cultural heritage that is insufficiently exploited, is worth noting.
The museums of France have a particularly interesting policy in the direction of the territories. This is the popular system of exhibitions of national interest in regions, which combines original presentations to innovative mediation actions. This year, this was particularly the case with the Dubuffet en Auvergne at the Clermont-Ferrand Museum. The pooling of collections is also an important axis for museums. As such, the partnership between the Louvre Museum and the Rennes Museum, which acquired a work by sculptor Coysevox, classified as a work of major heritage interest has an emblematic character, which will continue.
On the creative side, several actions are particularly remarkable, such as the substantive work carried out by the Fonds régionaux d'art contemporain (FRAC) in the territories or the increasingly important place taken by France Design Week, the unmissable event to radiate » and « resonate » design in the territories. To follow.
Note: the Ministry of Culture, participating for the first time in the Mayors and Communities Expo, is part of a particularly proactive approach aimed directly at all professionals in the territories. The objective? To present to them the scope and variety of its proposals and partnerships. An experience to renew and deepen.
Reinventing the place of youth in culture
As we all know, the construction of cultural inequalities begins in childhood. In all fields: reading, taste, books, language, drawing… All the more reason to fight them in every way by reinventing the place of youth – this should be the first – in art and culture.
First ground of appeal, the Culture pass. Aimed at promoting young people’s access to cultural goods and services, this major initiative continues – and has been expanded this year – with access to the Culture pass for young people aged 15 to 17. A success, which celebrated its million users. And it’s not over.
Another means: the extension of the principles of arts and cultural education, including the generalisation of the programme “100% BEC” continues in areas other than the academic field alone. Among many initiatives, several aim to involve students and teachers in a cultural creation project. This is the case in Narbonne, where students have become mediators for one evening of the Via Narbo Archaeological Museum, as part of the "Class, Work" operation held during the "European Night of Museums". This is also the case of a remarkable initiative, “Artist working in a school setting”, which brings together students, artists, teachers and parents around the same project.
For its third edition, «The Cultural Summer» continues to offer a unique cultural and social alternative to all those who do not go on holiday. Among many proposals, let us remember a privileged encounter with artists. Chaillot Colo, an initiative of the Théâtre national de la danse, located in Chaillot, is based on an equivalent principle, namely allowing young people who are far from the cultural offer to meet twice during school holidays: a cultural project and a social immersion. A great step towards maturity.
Reinventing the answers to the ecological transition
This year has also seen the rise of a perspective that is both urgent and sustainable: the climate transition. Faced with this situation, the mobilization of the world of culture, which began several years ago, was accompanied in 2022 by multiple initiatives. An example? The launch of two tools to measure the carbon footprint of festivals and other musical events. The two companies that created these tools are winners of the innovative digital services launched by the Ministry of Culture.
The climate transition was also very present at two of the most popular national events: European Heritage Days and the Go to the gardens. Throughout France, many initiatives have blossomed, each more exciting than the next: the Lille Opera at espeyran castlethrough many places that have protected a resource more precious than ever, the water, or given A new life for brownfields. Not to mention the significant contributions of the scientific research to accompany the climate transition in heritage.
Reinventing the place of creation
What if artistic creation was the only way to «restore meaning» to our lives, hard hit by the repetition of successive crises? This is the bet of “New Worlds”, which was originally planned to enable 430 creative reignite the world This year, in the face of success, will be renewed for a period of three years.
To find a little oxygen, a breath, what better indeed than to dive in these creations from elsewhere, who solicit our present but also our future, even our unthinking? For example, let’s dive – among a hundred other disruptive proposals – into the eyes of these three artists that pushed fields away from the possible of climate transition. The result is dazzling.
This tremendous impetus for artistic creation can also be found in the creativity of photojournalism, highlighted by the public commission of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Radioscopy of France », or in the overflowing vitality of «100% the exhibition», which presents in La Villette young talents recently coming from higher education culture. These training courses offer a real path of excellence, as evidenced by three young men that we followed at the beginning of their career.
Reinventing the place of reading
Over the course of a year, reading, which has become a “great national cause,” has given rise to hundreds of events and demonstrations with the sole goal of making people read more and better. This was, among other things, the launch on March 10 of a unpublished event dedicated anywhere, in companies, schools, administrations or… At home, a quarter of an hour of reading time. Faced with the tremendous momentum generated by the first edition, it will be renewed in March 2023.
At the end of this year, the initiatives in favour of reading have not only not slowed down but have even accelerated. And have especially focused on developing the reading offer for those who are away, such as inmates. For this population, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Justice have just launched, with the help of the Goncourt Academy, a very nice initiative: the Inmate goncourt, which has just awarded the first edition of its award to Sarah Jollien-Fardel for His favorite. On the occasion of a visit to the Osny Prison Centre in Val d'Oise, we followed Brigitte Giraud, winner of the 2022 Goncourt Prize, during a meeting with the prisoners-jurors. One exceptional report.
Being away from reading often means being away from reading places. To remedy this situation, and to be more attentive to each category of users, librarians are thinking about the evolution of their professions. There is tremendous momentum in favour of breaking down silos and opening up to other practices. The challenge, of course, is to ensure access to books and reading not only for young people and families, but also for those in the hands of the justice system, in health or medical-social institutions, or with disabilities.
Reading can also be a passport to other literary fields. This is why translation plays such an important role that the Ministry of Culture wanted to sanctuarize by distinguishing, with the Society of People of Letters (SGDL), the work of a translator. Robert Amutio, a great translator for Roberto Bolano, was the winner of this award in 2022. He exciting interview.
Reinventing the uses of language
Exploring realities other than one’s own, other cultures, other languages is also one of the missions – and most exciting – of the Ministry of Culture. The launch, in the first half of 2023, of the Cité internationale de la langue française et de la francophonie, which will be located at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, will allow for a better knowledge of French, the language of the Republic – including an original initiative, the Mobile Lab Listen Talk, identifies oral practices – but also to be more open to other spaces, particularly those of the Francophonie.
Some of these cultures and languages are also present on the French territory, consecrating multilingualism. This is the case for some african languages, whose unprecedented vitality is expressed in literature and performances, which are undergoing an important renewal.
Questioning her identity through the prism of Hollywood cinema, an international language if any, is what Franco-Algerian Zineb Sédira, an internationally renowned artist, does – not without distance and humour, which was chosen by France to represent it at the last Venice Biennale contemporary art.
A common imagination and a fruitful alchemy, it is the link that unites France and Africa around common cultural projects. In this case, it is a beautiful Picasso exhibition in Dakar prepared jointly by the Senegalese institutions with the help of French institutions. After the legendary Picasso exhibition in Dakar in 1972, this exhibition explores the fascinating relationship between the Catalan master and African art. This new cooperation with Africa is also restitution of cultural property in Benin looted during the colonial period.
Reinventing the relationship between sport and culture
As the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, the Ministry of Culture is a the Cultural Olympiad, a large artistic program, led by an artistic director, choreographer Dominique Hervieu. The goal? « Bringing sport and culture together to showcase our creativity and heritage » said Rima Abdul Malak, unveiling several projects supported by the Ministry of Culture.
Bringing together the worlds of sport and culture is also the ambition of one of these projects, Archi-Folies, which will mobilize national schools of architecture and sports federations. The goal is to jointly design sustainable facilities – the Pavilions where sports federations will be housed – that will be installed on the La Villette site during the competition, and then will be relocated to the different schools' territory. To follow.
2022 Cultural Year is also…
The discovery of the Unicorn Cave in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the 30th anniversary of the label «National scenes», the signing of a “visibility pact” to highlight the theatrical creation in the French overseas territories, the success of the exhibition cycle “Essentials” at the National Archives, the restoration of the Cyclop by Jean Tinguely, the 97 architectural projects selected under the Committed to the Quality of Tomorrow’s Housing Call for Events, the Round Table Archives in full: artificial intelligence at the service of sources » the 5th edition of the Fashion forum dedicated to the new trades of the sector, the roundtable on the stakes of the capitals circus, the 3rd edition of the Parliament of photography…
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