Christelle Moranais entrusted the General Inspectorate of the Region* with the mission of assessing the consequences of the cessation of operating subsidies in the cultural field, in particular in the performing arts sector, for the benefit of investment efforts. “The mission sought to evaluate, based on a methodology and objective data: What the reduction in regional funding represents in relation to the total aid allocated to the cultural sector by the State, municipalities or departments; And, consequently, the impacts of this ruling on cultural jobs and programming.”indicates the Region. In the interest of transparency, Christelle Moranais has decided to publish the summary of this report, and to communicate its entirety to all elected officials of the Regional Council**. “In 2025, the reduction in regional funding for culture amounted to 4.88 million euros, or 0.8% of the total of all public subsidies paid to the cultural sector in the Pays de la Loire (which amounted to more than 611.36 million euros in 2024). Ultimately, the cessation of cultural subsidies, which is spread over 3 budgetary years, will reach 13.74 million euros, or 2.25% of all public aid received.précise la collectivité.
What about the real “social plan in culture” evoked and denounced by the opposition and the world of culture which indicated that it suffered directly from these reductions in subsidies which could have harmed the economic model and its sustainability? “With regard to cultural employment, with the reservations imposed by the limited hindsight available to us, we observe – undoubtedly counter-intuitively – an increase of 3% in the number of intermittent workers in activity in March 2026 compared to March 2024 (compared to a decrease of 2% at the national level on the same period, i.e. 439 additional intermittent workers over the period in Pays de La Loire). As for permanent or fixed-term contracts in the field of live performance and audiovisual, they are decreasing – 103 jobs in 2 years – but at a rate identical to that observed at the national level, a drop of almost 3% over two years. At this stage, it is impossible to establish any cause and effect link between the budgetary choices of the Region and the developments in cultural employment in the Pays de la Loire, and even less to evoke a “social plan in culture”estimates the president of the Region.
Declines to put into perspective according to the regional majority
Finally, regarding the impacts observed on cultural programming, the Region would like to point out that it subsidized 442 project leaders, or 10% of the 4,400 employers in the regional cultural sector. “Of these 442 structures, 43 lost a subsidy which represented more than 15% of their budget, 120 lost aid which represented less than 10% of their budget and 243 lost a subsidy which represented less than 5% of their budget. To date, only 4 of these structures have ceased their activities – including one for criminal reasons – which is slightly less than the average rate of renewal of cultural structures observed from one year to the next (11%). At this stage, it is also not possible to establish a cause and effect link between the Region’s budgetary choices and an overall drop in cultural offerings or attendance in the Pays de la Loire.
A limited impact
Ultimately, for the Pays de la Loire Region, it emerges from this evaluation report that the cessation of regional subsidies to the cultural sector only has a limited impact, otherwise “marginal” : “Both on the mass of public subsidies paid to the cultural sector; but also on the budget of structures hitherto subsidized by the Region, since 90% of them were less than 15%. Consequently, the impact observed to date on cultural jobs and programming can only be very limited. Furthermore, thanks to the operating savings made, the investments, at the same time reinforced by the Region, produce a leverage effect on the regional economy which must also be taken into account. »
* The General Inspectorate is not subject to the hierarchical authority of the regional administration. It provides, within a standardized ethical and methodological framework, neutral and independent expertise to the Region’s elected officials on issues relating to risk management, ethics and the evaluation of public policies.
** Find the summary note of the report on this link.
