With around thirty shows making up the “In”, 1,600 on the program for the “Off”, the 78th edition of the Avignon festival (Vaucluse) which began on Saturday June 29, 2024, will remain in the annals. And not necessarily for its artistic performances: postponed due to the holding of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the festival was caught up in the electoral turmoil. The team around its director, Tiago Rodrigues, in office since September 2022, took the initiative, on the evening of the first round, in reaction to the results achieved by the National Rally (RN), to organize a Night of Mobilization. A free evening open to all, planned for Thursday July 4, 2024 in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes (2,000 seats), which benefits from the support of communities, unions, and of course artists. Tiago Rodrigues tells us about this essential democratic meeting…
Interview
Ouest-France: You announced on Sunday evening, in reaction to the results of the legislative elections, the holding of the second round: the festival could not not react?
Tiago Rodrigues : This is a hypothesis that we have been discussing for several days. It is not only the director’s idea, it is an initiative of the institution that is the Avignon festival, with the support of communities and unions (1). Mobilization is necessary to block the far-right vote. It is our historical responsibility to provide a response to the circumstances. We had already taken a position before the first round, to affirm that people in culture are part of civil society.
Read also: “We are afraid of the RN program”: Sunday evening, in Paris, they were at République
And now what is the message?
Appeal to the responsibility of citizens and politicians. It is as much about demanding the withdrawal of less well-placed candidates, as it is about defending democracy, by explaining that the National Rally is a fatal condemnation of democracy. We must set an example. While maintaining a societal diversity that must not be an obstacle, we want to recall democratic, republican, anti-racist values… and demonstrate our ability to bring people together. The festival can give visibility to this mobilization.
For you, how should this evening unfold?
As a theatre man, I would say that the quality of the introduction will be more important than the staging. We must show the example of a democratic consensus. So there will be speeches, but also artistic gestures. We have already given some names of artists who will be present – from Jeanne Balibar to Joey Starr, Camille Étienne, Corinne Masiero and Alexis Michalik – but many others will come to join us. As well as people from civil society, the public, union, political and associative sectors… All this to avoid having to enter into resistance on July 7.
Thursday, July 4, 2024, from 0:30 a.m. until dawn, in the Cour d’honneur of the Palais des Papes. Free entry within the limit of available places. Reservations recommended on festival-avignon.com
(1) In cooperation with the City of Avignon, Avignon Festival & Compagnies, CGT-Spectacle, Syndeac, the artists of the Avignon Festival and many actors from civil society.
