Canceled plays, reduced festivals, budget cuts… The cultural sector says it is “feverish” after recent restrictions in municipalities National gathering, justified by a need for savings, divergences ideological or the promotion of a “more popular” culture.
Tuesday, director Alexis Michalik denounced the deprogramming of his play Passporta story of the journey of exiles, initially expected for February 2027 in Castres (Tarn), a city that passed into the hands of the RN during the March elections. “The show had nevertheless been programmed, validated, integrated into the season and appeared in the brochure presented to the public,” he said. The piece has been performed for several years “in front of audiences of all sensibilities”, argued the artist. “Everyone is free to like it or not (…) But everyone should also be free to see it.”
In La Flèche (Sarthe), Le Carroi, a stage agreed with the state and the city, which organizes the festival “Les Affranchis” (street theater) and “Les Appartés” (free concerts), saw the share of the 2026 subsidy coming from the city melt away. The equivalent of 71,000 euros on a budget of 253,000 euros in operating subsidies, explains its director Richard Le Normand, whose establishment had already been reduced last year after massive cuts in the Pays-de-la-Loire region. As a result, “Les Appartés” was canceled and the “Affranchis” festival almost was as well “but the companies insisted on coming to play, even if they were less paid”, continues Richard Le Normand, describing cultural actors “very worried, extremely feverish.” “If the city cuts again in 2027, it’s catastrophic.”
A question of money and ideas
In the Gard Camargue, in Vauvert, 12,000 inhabitants, the mayor RN Nicolas Meizonnet elected in March canceled the exhibition of a local photographer. A few weeks later, he refused “to continue to subsidize to the tune of 65,000 euros” a jazz association, part of whose programming took place in the town. Not far away, in Agde in Hérault, a film festival was reduced from 6 to 4 days and free concerts cut by one day. Mayor Aurélien Lopez-Liguori believes he has inherited an “insincere budget » and requires “efforts” everywhere, he explained.
The economic argument is also used by the new RN councilor of Castres, Florian Azéma, believing that “public money” must be “spent correctly”. In addition, the elected official assumes an ideological divergence regarding the play by Alexis Michalik, which he has not seen. If it is “the promotion of illegal immigrants and (…) a rather particular treatment of the police”, this “does not correspond with what I defended during the campaign”. Philippe Ballard, RN deputy for Oise, called on Wednesday to “put an end to the pseudo-artists who make culture an instrument of propaganda in the service of immigrationist ideology”. At Vauvert, Nicolas Meizonnet justified his decision by describing the local photographer, Sylvain Brino, as a “convinced Mélenchoniste”.
Favor “a more popular culture”
Another argument put forward by a deputy of the majority during the municipal council of April 30 in La Flèche, the desire for “a more popular culture which is aimed at more people. “Not necessarily something a little elitist and sometimes a little oriented.” Nicolas Meizonnet promised to organize “major shows of popular culture” in the city’s arenas. Ditto in Agde, where the relaunch this summer of “a traditional festival around our Occitan and Agathois traditions” is announced.
“We are not fooled by the various excuses given,” reacts the Syndeac (employers of artistic and cultural companies, the first union in the public). “In many cases,” this hides “a desire to gag artists but also to reduce artistic and cultural diversity in the territory.” The union promises to raise awareness of these issues during summer festivals and to identify the cities where there is a need to “judicialize things.” “.
