Par Cédric Nithard
Published on 13 Jul 23 at 17:29 See my news Follow Métropolitain From left to right: Nicolas Dubourg, Michaël Delafosse, Sophie Béjéan, Sophie Léron and Adèle Charvet. (©CN / Metropolitan)
Montpellier’s candidacy under European Capital of Culture 2028 keeps expanding its borders. First geographically, recently hosting the Pays de l’Or, bringing the number of municipalities that compose it to 154. In the support also by receiving Tuesday that of the president of the Metropolis of Toulouse Jean-Luc Moudenc. And finally, in its influence and its ambition, as evidenced by its time in Avignon Wednesday, July 12, where the essential festival dedicated to theater and performing arts is currently taking place, to affirm his will to be a crossroad of Europe while raising a bridge to Africa with a first Europe-Africa Biennial organized in October in Montpellier.
The mobility of artists
Borders, it was precisely question in the round table, dedicated to the mobility of artists, proposed at the opening of this meeting in Avignon which, beyond a new presentation of the candidacy outside its lands, wanted be a plea in favor of culture. A culture open to the world and especially to Africa despite the difficulties encountered by its artists, the main obstacle being visa applications which have become “a diplomatic issue with certain countries”. Gaelle Massicot-Bitty from the French Institute calls for “recognition of the status of artist which does not exist in the countries of the South” and underlines that “an invitation to perform can give the legitimacy of an artist in his country”. Faced with the fear of seeing some take advantage of the system to exile themselves illegally, she recalls that during the Africa 2020 season of the more than 1,500 artists who came to France, only three did not return to their country.
A round table dedicated to the mobility of artists. (©CN / Metropolitan)
Marie Le Sourd, from the organization On the Move whose mission is to build a European cultural space by facilitating cross-border mobility in the cultural sector, mentioned “the risk of invisibility of African artists” already noted in the name of “the environmental question”. Air travel would be the cause of the problem on which some would rely to no longer schedule them in Europe or relegate them to digital programming. This will not fail to make Michaël Delafosse jump, who will castigate later: “We have made the countries of the South pay enough to make them weigh this responsibility today”.
Symbol of this mobility between Africa and Europe, Salia Sanou, choreographer at the head of the Mouvements Perpétuels company in Montpellier and in charge of the La Termitière Choreographic Development Center in Ouagadougou, pleaded: “An artist creates to produce something go. Mobility is the whole meaning of creativity”. In this context, he advocates: “When we are optimistic, we open up a space for dialogue” and to salute: “Montpellier’s candidacy precisely makes it possible to create a dialogue between the territories”
An application as a crossroads
A candidacy that came to Avignon to affirm a new direction. After “Let’s share our imaginations”, Montpellier and its partners intend to be “at the crossroads of our imaginations”. Devoid of political intention, Michaël Delafosse underlines: “We are here, 154 municipalities which have chosen to affirm and carry culture through decentralization” and to share “a candidacy from the great outdoors, a candidacy for hospitality” .
Where Adèle Charvet, singer and godmother of Montpellier 2028, called for “culture to cement Europe”, Michaël Delafosse supports: “Links through culture make Europe different. When some want to erect walls, our candidacy wants to be a crossroads, an invitation to shape new imaginaries to project ourselves towards others and the future”. Having long made culture “a conviction and a plea”, the president of the Métropole de Montpellier launches a new mantra: “To those who want to deliver a rancid France, I plead for a France that dances”.
Adèle Charvet: “This candidacy will have generated an unprecedented and very beautiful momentum”
How is your role as sponsor of this application going?
It’s very sweet because it’s a non-executive role but it’s still a role of commitment and conviction. Especially since I practice an art (note: lyrical singing) that is constantly questioned and especially at this time when there is less and less money, where the rooms are more and more deserted and where there are fewer in fewer young people. It is important for me to be part of a large-scale event that brings together territories and people, where free access is at the heart of the matter, and to say that, more than ever, culture is alive and necessary.
For you, one of the challenges of this candidacy is to bring generations together?
At the moment, we oppose generations and we make them clash when it would be wiser and optimistic to build bridges between generations and all social categories. I sing in very beautiful theaters, with lots of gilding and beautiful paintings, but there are always young rates, mediation around musical events to bring back the public and say that it is not an old-fashioned art. At the beginning of my career, I spent a lot of time doing mediation in retirement homes, schools… doing participatory concerts precisely to bring these generations into dialogue and build the audience of tomorrow.
When you travel through France, do you hear about Montpellier’s candidacy?
More and more. This makes me happy because it shows a certain radiance. I am from Montpellier and in Montpellier, in terms of culture there is already everything but perhaps we have forgotten it a little lately so to do this huge campaign and to link the institutions together, the elephants and the smaller, it makes noise and I can only be delighted about it whatever the outcome of this race. An outcome that we hope will be positive of course, but this candidacy will have generated an unprecedented and very beautiful impetus because it ignores all party quarrels. It is still a tour de force to bring together 154 municipalities from all political sides. I think there is no cynicism or opportunism, it is a real message of hope.
The oral precedent of the delegation before the jury in Paris was very important. How are you preparing for the decisive one in December?
I am preparing for it calmly because I find that the assessment of the year 2023 compared to 2022, in terms of diversity, calls for projects and everything that is deployed, is already exciting. This summer there are wonderful things happening. I’m really not ashamed of the projects that have been presented for a year. I find that it makes you want to come to Montpellier and explore all the cultural diversity offered in all the municipalities united behind the application. I’m really not worried, especially since I’m sure I’m very well supported.
At his side, Sophie Béjéan, rector of the Montpellier Academy, came to affirm the support “of the educational world and higher education because with this candidacy, there is a lever of emancipation for the young people of our territory who are sometimes very far from culture because of social difficulties in certain neighborhoods or rural areas. Through this application, we want to lift these young people up to offer them new horizons”. Nicolas Dubourg, artistic director of the candidacy, rightly highlighted the initiative launched with the Academy of the Future, the aim of which for young students is to “tell a common story”. An exercise that will allow them in 2028 to take a look at the path traveled since 2022 and perhaps, through construction and creativity, break with the ambient pessimism.
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First Europe-Africa Biennial in October
While there is rightly a lot of talk about Europe, the candidacy aims beyond that by also being “a junction point with Africa”. Thus, returning to its rich program, the first Biennial Europe Africa will take place from October 9 to 15 and will offer many events around a cultural section for the general public in different places in the metropolis and a development and innovation section. The meeting will address three axes: The water that connects us, The future in series to project itself on other modes of cooperation and Trans to transform the views of European citizens on the reality of the African continent.
Eric Servat and Vincent Cavaroc, respectively in charge of the scientific and general public part of the first Europe-Africa Biennial. (©CN / Metropolitan)
Among the highlights announced, a “Festival of Ideas” will invite reflection on the Europe-Africa relationship through twenty debates and conferences around a wide panel of thinkers. African Cultural and Creative Industries will also be honoured, as will young African entrepreneurs on the occasion of the second Campus dedicated to them by the Fondation Prospective et Innovation. Under the supervision of Éric Servat, director of the UNESCO International Water Center “ICIREWARD” at the University of Montpellier, the “Euro-Africa Water Days” congress will bring together various actors around issues related to water resource management water and cooperation between territories, scientists and civil society.
In addition to private and institutional partners, the various diasporas of Montpellier are widely involved in the programming of the event. “Our candidacy is a chance to change practices and to be inspiring in terms of culture,” breathes Michaël Delafosse, referring to the subject of the opening round table before summarizing the candidacy with voluntarism: “154 municipalities are ready to be the crossroads of Europe and a bridge to Africa”. Bourges, Clermont-Ferrand and Rouen are warned…
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