Socio-artistic programme

Socio-artistic initiatives are structured around partnerships with non-profit, social-sector, medical-social, healthcare and culture organisations. The Festival’s socio-artistic programme is designed for a public encompassing a wide age range and which, owing to economic reasons, social background or reduced autonomy, can feel cut off from the artistic and cultural offering in their area. They focus on building bridges between professional and amateur artists, and between audiences from different generations and cultures, focusing on the works included in the Festival programme.

Following contact and discussions with the full range of social actors and partner organisations, many participants become interested and get involved in the socio-artistic projects:

• Young people who have dropped out of school, or are on training or into-work schemes.
• Children, young people and families from social housing neighbourhoods, foster children, children and young people in care.
• Children, young people and families involved in extra-curricular educational, community or municipal activities (social and community centres, leisure centres, resource centres, media libraries, etc.).
• Young people, adults and families who have just arrived in France.
• Adults on social inclusion schemes claiming earned income support and housed in social accommodation centres.
• Young people under legal protection, in jail or an open prison.
• Seniors on the minimum pension or who are isolated.
• Young people and adults with intellectual disabilities or autism.
• Adults with mental or psychiatric disorders.
• Patients or residents of healthcare institutions.

Opera outreach programmes run throughout the year and are designed with partner establishments or target audiences; participants are regularly invited to attend Festival events before seeing the show. The programmes include workshops with artist-educators, meetings to discuss, exchange opinions or workshops about the works, visits to set construction workshops and production venues, sessions with artists and technicians, etc.

Behind-the-scenes courses are organised for local organisations dedicated to professional integration and employment support; through this initiative, a series of meetings are set up between the Festival’s technical teams and young people and adults who wish to learn about various skills and professions in the performing arts. Since 2018, the Open Days at the set construction workshops in Venelles have allowed participants to meet and discuss, for half a day, with nearly a dozen technicians who work in such fields as carpentry, decoration, audio-visual services, wig-making and lighting.

Educational performances provide young people and families in particular with an opportunity to discover the many facets of opera in an enjoyable, hands-on way. The Festival Académie’s young participants, young artists involved in the Festival programme take Musical Encounters to audiences in hospital settings, social housing projects and isolated areas.
 

CONTACT
Marie-Laure Stephan
marie-laure.stephan@festival-aix.com