New missions / new programme
Þ Evolution of two major symbolic events: the Rencontres africaines de la photographie and the Danse l’Afrique Danse biennial
These events play a vital role in the pursuit of our main objective.
They are and they should be platforms to heighten the visibility of artistes and their works, in order to make it easier for them to be discovered by professional creative circles in various artistic disciplines.
- The Rencontres Africaines de la Photographie (New African photography seminar) in Bamako is dedicated to the image, including, in addition to the photographic aspect, new images and a programme of films shot in the districts, built up from the collection of the Cinémathèque Afrique.
- The Danse l’Afrique Danse (Dance Africa Dance) biennial has a new mobile character, and will be organised every two years in liaison with the continent’s operators and events. The next edition, for the first time, will be directed and organised by a professional operator, Les Rencontres chorégraphiques de Carthage in Tunisia.
Þ Expansion of our cinema activities with the arrival in the department of the Cinémathèque Afrique (Africa Cinema Library)
In this sector, where we do not have the resources to to back film production, our action is aimed at the preservation of the Cinémathèque Afrique collection and the development of genuine visible, structured activity for the latter.
- A DVD collection will be launched, in partnership with the External Audiovisual Department, aimed at digitising and disseminating a number of seminal fiction and documentary films, whether they are short films or full-length.
- Discussions will also be initiated with partners about giving this collection more visibility and displaying it to people at regular public events in France and internationally (Paris, New York, Bamako, Tokyo…).
Þ Establishment of a plan to create an artistes’ residence programme in Africa, La Villa Senghor on Gorée (Senegal)
This project, encouraged by the Senegalese government, consists of renovating the Governor’s Palace on the Ile de Gorée and turning it into a complex housing a museum of contemporary art, a guest house, a restaurant and a place of residence for artistes and writers, which should be financially independent.
Changing the method of involvement with artistes and operators, with the implementation of "En marche" contracts and the inclusion of the operational aspect in the support system
Based on a contract with objectives running over several years, "Afrique en Créations" will sign "En marche" contracts with certain operators (such as the Centre de Développement Chorégraphique in Ouagadougou or the Centre méditerranéen de la danse contemporaine, the Mantsina sur scène festival in Brazzaville…). This is aimed at supporting operators who have succeeded in building up a permanent structure for their activity, to give them guaranteed financial backing over three years, so they can develop their projects.
Þ Launch of a new Azalai programme aimed at artistes and operators in the Sahel and Sahelian countries
This programme, designed to encourage artistic co-operation and mobility across this entire region, will give its support to projects that bring together at least three countries in this area in the fields of training, creation or dissemination.
Þ Launch of an editorial policy in liaison with the writing and publications department
- Publication of the Cultural Guide to Africa that will contain details of all the operators and artistes in each country, as well as figures and information on what the cultural economy is worth, discipline by discipline and country by country.
- Launch of a collection of artistic monographs.
- Creation of the new review, Cultures Sud (formerly Notre librairie), covering topical themes and promoting writers from the southern countries which could take the opportunity in certain issues to present inventories on various artistic sectors as was done for the theatre.
Þ Establishment of multidisciplinary platforms presenting African creation
While our main target is to strengthen the presence of artistes from the African continent on all the international circuits, it is also necessary to open up "new markets" in strategic territories to which African cultures do not yet have access.
- Trading countries like Japan (profiting from the success of the AFRICAREMIX exhibition);
- Or developing countries like China and India.
Implementing institutional partnerships
- for the development of a strong, concerted policy to support access to the market (with the Organisation internationale de la francophonie – OIF (International organisation of French-speaking countries), notably as regards music);
- to encourage the authorities in Africa to develop cultural policies (OIF, WAMU, ACP Secretariat, European Union).
Þ Creation of a Theatre Platform which could be held in Benin in liaison with Le Fitheb, in Ouagadougou or in Brazzaville.
Finally, in partnership with the Parc de la Villette, the department will set in motion the operational phase of the "En Scène pour l’Afrique" programme designed to contribute to the technical facilities of African structures by recovering and recycling equipment donated by structures in France.
- Finding unused technical equipment in numerous venues in France
- Concluding contracts with these venues to donate the equipment
- Organising its recovery and its storage
- Identifying structures in Africa: theatres, museums, companies, training centres, to whom the equipment can be sent
- Establishing technical lists in accordance with requests and the equipment obtained to identify what equipment should be sent to each structure
- Organising training in France for the technicians who will operate the equipment intended for their use
- Organising the shipment of the equipment to the structures.
Specific actions
While implementing new projects, the department is pursuing its actions in all the following sectors of activity: music, dance, theatre, visual arts, photography, design and fashion, with the following actions in particular:
- Training support with the Ateliers du Monde programme;
- Creation support with the Visas pour la Création programme and creation grants, particularly in the areas of dance and theatre;
- Support for promoting artistes and their projects on the African continent and all over the world;
- Support for operators in Africa who want to develop private initiatives;
- Setting up major operations in partnership with operators, such as "L’Afrique est à la mode" with Fima or "La Voix" with Hifa;
- Support for co-operation projects in liaison with regional authorities.
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