A collective book to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Games Farm

The Games Farmemblematic cultural center of Vaux-le-Pénil, in Seine-et-Marne, celebrates its 30 ans d’existence. On this occasion, A collective book has just been published by Scorpion Brunpion, to testify to its history. Worn by a good twenty authors Penivauxois, this work aims to be as much a tribute as a manifesto to give back to the place its identity which has made its fame.

“He has a real artistic identity,” said Julien Guérin, author and city councilor. Inaugurated in 1995 under the leadership of Pierre Carassus, then mayor, and Patrice Durand, his culture assistant, the Games farm is not a cultural center like the others. As its name suggests, it isA real converted farm in multidisciplinary space.

Varied programming

“This is the first time that a farm has become a cultural center,” says Jean-Christophe Pagès, one of the first programmers in the place. Over the years, the site has developed to offer different cultural spaces: The barnwhich acts as a performance hall and cinema, or The little theater Ginette Kolinka for shows. These spaces make it possible to accommodate a varied program, which makes it a cultural crossroads, with theater, art cinema and essay, concertsdebates, expositionsand artist residences.

It is to celebrate this anniversary, but also to recall what made the soul of the place, that the book project was born. “The idea was to bring together people who had participated in the creation of the Games farm, and who lived things there, whether artists or inhabitants,” explains Aurélien Boutet, municipal councilor, musician and culture activist.

Far from being simply chronological, the work presents itself as a mosaic of texts with various forms. “There is both poemstexts, Life storiespolitical texts and Historical summariesdetails Aurélien Boutet. The book was built thanks to a network of relationships woven around the place. »»

And perspective

The Games Farm is 30 years old Also opens up prospects for the coming years. Because for the authors, she has somewhat lost her soul in recent years.

“It happened a lot here, it’s a place that really radiated really in the agglomeration. I speak a little bit about the past, it’s a little less true in all honesty for a few years, the cinema having been delegated for two years to a private managerregrets Julien Guérin. I wish His return to the municipal fold So that the town regains control over programming and can give it a little coloring that made its singularity. »»

But the work is not content to note this loss of identity, it also sketches avenues to revitalize the place, such as the opening to amateurs et to local associationsin order to make it a unifying place for all generations.

“The inhabitants must reclaim this site which resembles them and they have fun coming there,” underlines Aurélien Boutet. In addition, the new Melun cinema located at Place Saint-Jean will soon come out of the ground, more competition for the Ferme des Jeux. “It’s going to be a challenge, we will really have to focus on it, with a special program for people to come here,” finishes Julien Guérin.

The Games Farm is 30 years oldeditions of Scorpion Brun, available at the Vaux Books bookstore, at the L’Escalier bookstore in Melun, and potentially at the Fnac de Melun. Price: € 10.

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