It’s a page that is turning for Jazz in Poitiers. The association founded in 1997 by Bernard Prouteau, then directed by Matthieu Périnaud, changed its name and is now called Nage libre. The announcement was made during the Baïne in December 2024, at Confort moderne.
Free yourself from labels
“For this beautiful evening of December 6, the former presidents of Jazz à Poitiers, Gérard Abonneau and Anne-Marie Chaignon, were present, underlines Mathilde Coupeau, the director of Freestyle Swimming. It was great to hear them tell their story before diving into a new page. This name change is not a break: it is the continuity of the project. »
Despite everything, it became obvious that the name no longer really reflected the variety of music defended by the association. “It became complicated to explain what we were programming: we started by saying everything we didn’t docontinues Mathilde Coupeau. We wanted to free ourselves from the term jazz, but also from all stylistic labels. The music we represent has exploded artistic boundaries. So we need to reflect that too. »
The year 2024 having been very special for the Poitevine association (with a program focused around four highlights), it was also the right time to change its name. With this new identity and a new visual appearance (still signed Mélanie Bourgoin), the association is preparing to return to more normal operation, with quarterly programming.
“This suspended year is a real success which allowed us to test different formats, concludes Mathilde Coupeau. For the first quarter of 2025, we are starting again on the same markers as before, with concerts during the week and family concerts on Sunday morning (with the duo Nadoz, March 16). And the Bruisme festival will return from June 26 to 29, 2025.”
Until then, Nage libre will meet for a first musical and dancing bath, on Thursday January 23, 2025, at La Rotative de Buxerolles, for the complete Intervals from the Poitevin company La Cavale. The return of the Franco-American project The Bridge is scheduled the following week (Thursday January 30), before the trio of improvisers Zimmermann-Corsano-Pistiokos (Wednesday February 12), the project L’Hiraethwith texts by Arthur H (Thursday February 13, at the Tap), the duo of guitarist Fred Frith and trumpeter Susana Santos Silva (Sunday March 9) or the Bill Orcutt guitar trio (Tuesday March 25). All you have to do is let yourself be carried away by the current of this light and very large bath.
