The situation of concert halls in French-speaking Switzerland is precarious and alerts are increasing. Like Fri-Son in Fribourg, Ebullition in Bulle recently appealed for the solidarity of its audience. After launching a crowdfunding campaign three weeks ago, the establishment reached its goal of 50,000 francs. A victory tinged with relief for Antoine Jacquat, president of the cultural center with a capacity of 300 people, with whom we discussed the challenges encountered and the solutions put in place.
“Last month we found ourselves gradually running out of cash. With fixed monthly costs of 15,000 francs per month, 45,000 francs were missing to cover October, November and December,” explains Antoine Jacquat. This situation is unprecedented for Ebullition, which until now managed to maintain its financial balance until the start of the following year. But, in 2024, the situation has changed.
The president explains this critical situation by a drop in attendance and a reduction in consumption at the bar which is directly linked to the effects of Covid. “This phenomenon, shared by other theaters, affects our finances. Even if drinking less alcohol has a positive effect on health,” he puts things into perspective.
Faced with this crisis, the room has multiplied initiatives: “We have started negotiations with our landlords to review the rents.” In the meantime, adjustments have been attempted, such as concerts starting earlier or a wider range of non-alcoholic drinks, but these efforts remain insufficient to compensate for the losses. “This is why we launched a crowdfunding campaign,” he explains. An action which quickly met with great success.
“We had planned to take stock at the end of the year to see if we reached 50,000 francs, but we achieved it on Monday evening, after only three weeks. This outpouring of solidarity is fantastic. We are really delighted, because this already takes a significant weight off our shoulders.”
In fact, more than 200 donors contributed to this campaign. Everyone has the opportunity to leave a message which will be engraved on the Ebullition bar. As there is still room to write a few words, the crowdfunding campaign will continue until the end of the year. “However, the objective is to no longer find ourselves in a similar situation,” recalls Antoine Jacquat. To do this, meetings will be organized with a strategic committee, made up of former members, in order to rethink the economic model and the attractiveness of the room. The first will take place this Wednesday evening.
With the arrival of a new programmer last September, the team hopes to attract a wider audience. Moreover, a slight increase in attendance is already being felt. Enough to allow Ebullition to consider the future with a note of hope, carried by the strength of solidarity and the love of music.
Make a donation to Ebullition or discover their programming on their website.
