Since last September, the theatrical company managing the Lavoir Moderne Parisien has been ordered to leave by its social landlord. Incomprehensible for its members, while the town hall of Paris had preempted the theater two years ago.
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“We play our skin.” For Julien Favart, co-director of the company Graines de soleil, the future of the Lavoir Moderne Parisien theater is uncertain. Since last September, the troupe, in charge of this theater in the Goutte d’Or district in the 18th district of Paris since 2014, is threatened with eviction by its social landlord, Habitat Social Français (HSF), which is none other than a subsidiary of the Régie immobilière de la ville de Paris (RIVP).
A bad surprise for the company which has a taste of bis repeated. “In 2020, we had already had a similar procedure. The mayor of Paris had then decided to pre-empt the premises to save the theater from destruction. Since then, the city has owned the walls, but Habitat Social Français (HSF) is our social landlord.“, explains Julien Favart.
According to the company, which decided to launch a petition in response to this threat of eviction, the town hall would seek to make them swallow snakes. “The City tells us that it mediates with the lessor, while HSF is a subsidiary of the Régie immobilière de la ville de Paris (RIVP). This position is not tenable“The City for its part considers that it is not up to it”to intercede in this dispute“.
Habitat Social Français (HSF) has been asking Graines de Soleil for several months to give up its lease to launch a call for expressions of interest (AMI) which will decide on the new occupant. “We asked the City what guarantees we had to win this call for projects. They told us we didn’t have any, but there was no reason we couldn’t win it“, explains Julien Favart. “Difficult to trust in these conditions.“
In the pages of L’Assommoir, Emile Zola describes this Parisian laundry. It is located at 35 rue Léon. • © Modern Parisian Washhouse
Contacted, the town hall defends itself and advances the ordinance of April 19, 2017 relating to the property of public persons, which leads the City to “submit to competition the granting of titles of occupation of the public domain, with a view to economic exploitation“, in order to enforce the”equal treatment between Parisian cultural actors“.
For Maître Philippe Péricaud, lawyer for Graines de soleil, this argument is not admissible. “HSF does not have to ask to waive the lease to be in good standing with the law. The 2017 order which provides for competition only applies when the premises are vacant.” Before continuing: “HSF considers that the commercial lease has expired, but as long as a court decision has not been pronounced, it is still valid.“
For the ten employees of the LMP theatre, the battle to stay in the premises responds above all to a human, social and cultural issue. “We are a ‘springboard’ theater that works for the emergence of new companies and new writings“, says Julien Favart, who is also an actor.
In this priority district of the Goutte d’Or, the Lavoir Moderne Parisien is the only theatre. “We guarantee continuity at the local level. We work a lot with the diasporas and on the Francophonie, in partnership with neighborhood associations.“
An important role that the City does not deny: “The work of territorial establishment and support for emerging companies carried out by Graines de Soleil has never been questioned”, she specifies.
The Lavoir Moderne Parisien receives an operating subsidy from the Paris City Hall. • © XAVIER DE TORRES / MAXPPP
The question of the future of the company, within this former wash house, now arises. Even if David Belliard, Deputy Mayor of Paris and president of the RIVP, ensures that there is a “political consensus on the fact that Graines de soleil must remain at the Lavoir Moderne Parisien theater“.
According to the elected official in charge of the Transformation of the public space, a meeting would be “stalling” in order to “look for a solution from above“. However, if the two parties do not agree on an agreement at the time of the mediation, it will be up to the Paris court to deliberate.
David Belliard is deputy mayor of Paris in charge of the transformation of public space, transport, mobility, the street code and roads. He is also president of the RIVP. • © VINCENT ISORE / IP3 PRESS / MAXPPP
A long procedure which should still take two to three years, according to master Philippe Péricaud. Two to three years, before the Graines de Soleil company finally lowers the curtain?
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