The Avignon Festival starts this Saturday, a few days early due to the Olympic Games in Parisand a few hours before the first round of early legislative elections who could lead the National Rally to power.
Guest of France Bleu Vaucluse this Friday morning, the director of the Festival, Tiago Rodriguesbelieves that it would be a “treason” for him to “working and even collaborating with the far right in power”.
“It’s not just a question of being a political adversary because I work with elected officials from all political sides, but it’s working with undemocratic elected officials. And that is not acceptable. A racist, even normalized, is still a racist”he continues.
“The RN wants to transform the public service of culture into propaganda”
Questioned by the outgoing RN deputy from Avignon, Catherine Jaouen, who believes who is saying “surprised that the director of the festival, appointed by the Ministry of Culture, is getting involved in a political debate”Tiago Rodrigues considers on the contrary that this is precisely his role.
“If Jean Vilar had not been involved in political debate, there would have been no Avignon festival in 1947. He fought for social cohesion in a divided, polarized country, for the democratization and decentralization of culture. That’s it, that’s politics.”replies the director of the Avignon Festival.
And Tiago Rodrigues assures that he did not have only very rare relations with the deputy since his arrival at the head of the festival two years ago. “For two years, she has only contacted the festival once, to try to censor a show. This clearly shows the extent of the cultural ideas of the National Rally which is trying to transform the public service of culture into propaganda”retorts Tiago Rodrigues.
