a day to find yourself and reinvent yourself

Foreign art and artists are rich in originality and diversity that are increasingly well known. This is the result of the policy of the Ministry of Culture, which supports their creation, production and distribution through its operators and systems.

However, nothing is gained: remoteness, isolation, rarity of training, narrow distribution in a large or small area remain stubborn challenges that add to the need for more professionalization of companies today. environmental concerns, health crises to be overcome, the prospect of taking root in key regions (Caribbean-Amazonia-Quebec, Polynesia-New Zealand-New-Caledonia-Australia…) despite the barriers of borders and languages… is very interesting. topics that need to invent smart solutions.

The Marie-Pia Bureau manages the National Office of Artistic Diffusion (ONDA), which is organizing a day dedicated to creativity abroad on December 1, 2022 at the Carreau du Temple in Paris. Founded together with the Mois Kréyol festival and Carreau, today it receives the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry responsible for Foreign Affairs under the “Pact to facilitate the emergence and visibility of foreign artists”.

See the full program for the day here

Bureau Marie-Pia, why are we talking about a “break in equality” between artists from abroad and artists from “mainland” France?

Marie-Pia Office: In general, it is clear that many foreign artists come to France to study and sometimes stay there to build a career. Some still choose to live their craft at home, where there is every reason to grow their business. But this is more difficult than in France, where artists have from four to five hundred possible spaces, although they find it in the best developed areas in this respect, such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, or Reunion. a maximum of three.

What is the National Office for Artistic Broadcasting (ONDA) doing to support overseas artists?

Over the past fifteen years, ONDA has done a lot of volunteer work in locations as close to overseas locations as possible. For four years, this work and our presence in these areas have been strengthened by the provisions of the Visibility Pact.

This means regular and significant visits. We go there with programmers. We try to tour companies, festivals and existing structures. We get to know each other and try to tailor help and support to the needs we have collectively identified. This particularly results in foreign artists touring France and vice versa, French artists touring foreign territories.

What did you learn from these deep connections?

Over the years, the questions have improved and our approach, especially our listening, has improved. At the beginning, we thought about how to look at the art created in such different areas. Did the “West” have to meet French aesthetic criteria at the risk of refocusing? On the contrary, another trap, didn’t we risk tying it up in exoticism or folklore?

Today, the problem of foreign artists entering France to train or distribute their work is still relevant, but we are also considering new issues. For example, Polynesian artists ask us to relate them to structures in a larger region: New Zealand and Australia. How can different areas of these large regions be encouraged to form strong ties with each other? For example, how about helping arrange tours from Guyana to the Caribbean via Quebec?

At a time when environmental requirements are becoming more relevant, these questions are becoming more relevant. Moreover, among reflection sites, there is also a view that people of northern culture need to travel less to rebalance their carbon footprints, and that people from outlying areas separated by a lack of equality are less affected by this moderation.

Today, artists also express their engineering needs to us. An artist can do good work, but if there is no one to help him professionalize his work, he will find it difficult to move beyond his familiar circle. Moreover, if he is really far from rich places, this engineering is absolutely essential for him.

Finally, on a more conjunctural note, we know that an economic crisis is shaping up for the performing arts, and we fear that this will lead to the withdrawal of French structures. We must also adapt our aid system to continue and even expand the opening of French networks to foreign territories.

How will Paris Day be organized on December 1 at the Carreau du Temple?

Today, more precisely, it is organized to highlight these issues of injustice, to try to eliminate them as best as possible.

It will bring together many people from different structures, all of them are brought to work on these questions, but sometimes each is on its own: we, THEN, intervene in the distribution of work, other organizations support the creation, others have housing, funds for. mobility… The goal here is for everyone to get to know each other.

In this way, we want to arouse the desire for cooperation. Therefore, we will present the artists’ projects and realize the richness of these areas in terms of artistic creativity. We also want to encourage participants to work together, asking them to think about what allows them to collaborate better on all topics. Our goal is to hear and promote all interesting projects and all interesting initiatives.