380 artists and technicians, actresses and cultural actors are mobilizing to defend the Vanves theater (92), an approved stage of national interestthreatened with a blank year and a radical change in cultural policy by Mayor Bernard Gauducheau (UDI). Dominique A, Ariane Ascaride, Jeanne Balibar, Cali, Jeanne Cherhal, Romane Bohringer, Clotilde Hesme, Irène Jacob, Emily Loizeau, Renan Luce, Florent Marchet, Fabrice Melquiot, Stanislas Nordey, Alysson Paradis, Jean-Yves Ruf, Renaud Séchan, Gauvain Sers, Marion Siefert… are among the signatories of this column supported by the ADN collective
We, artists and creators of music, theater, dance, technicians, programmers, cultural actors and actresses, wish to show our support to the team of Vanves Theater following the recent announcement of a radical change in cultural policy and the cancellation of almost its entire programming for the 2026-2027 season. Many of us have played, created, sometimes started our careers in this theater. With its bold, lively and demanding programming, the Théâtre de Vanves is one of the places essential to our ecosystem.
For cultural diversity
It participates in the dissemination of cultural diversity and its renewal. We do not understand this brutal decision by the municipality. We wish to remind through this text that places of culture which preserve and welcome cultural diversity, which support artists and creation unconditionally are places essential to the good health of a democracy. Demanding programming is a guarantee of social bonds engaging each and everyone’s exchange and reflection on the world. If these places are not protected and supported, the ramparts that protect us from ignorance, violence, fear of others and withdrawal into oneself will only give way.
We intend to resist each time this rampart is threatened and our professions and their places of survival are weakened. We think that art is a common good that must be accessible to all to elevate us and create society and that in this it cannot be subject to the diktat of profitability. Public theaters embody these values. It seems important to us to remember here that the influence of such programming, so inspiring and careful, attracts a local audience but also well beyond the city’s borders.
It thus creates a cascade of considerable economic dynamism for an entire district. When art shines, it generates work and facilitates conviviality. We therefore affirm our total support for the Vanves theater team and ask for a resumption of dialogue and the establishment of the cultural season as planned so that it can continue through this place to work for our common good. Added to budget cuts, current political radicalization is pushing many municipalities to pursue a devastating cultural policy (the Théâtre du Grand Rond in Toulouse is also currently under threat). We ask the municipality to hear and consider our deep concern. The DNA collective
