French theatres occupied as protesters demand reopening
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, November 23, 2024


French theatres occupied as protesters demand reopening
Demonstrators hold a banner reading 'essential opening', as a few dozen drama students gather and occupy the Theatre de La Colline in Paris on March 9, 2021, to demand the reopening of cultural places and theatres, a year after the first closing measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are following the example of the action at the Odeon Theatre, occupied since March 4 by cultural actors and workers who are demanding the reopening of cultural venues and a financial aid. THOMAS COEX / AFP.

by Rana Moussaoui



PARIS (AFP).- French protesters occupied three national theatres on Wednesday to demand an end to the ban on cultural activities imposed due to the pandemic as frustration grows with the months-long halt to performances.

Theatres, cinemas, museums and other cultural spaces have been shut since France's last full lockdown in October, and have remained closed despite most businesses reopening in December.

Pressure has been building for weeks and thousands marched in cities across France last Thursday to demand a reopening -- with social distancing -- of the cultural sector.

The Paris march ended with around 50 people forcing their way into the shuttered Odeon Theatre and refusing to leave.

Similar actions were seen on Tuesday at two other theatres -- the Colline in eastern Paris and the National Theatre of Strasbourg.

University students also spent Monday night in the regional theatre of Pau in southern France.

Karine Huet, secretary general of the National Union of Musical Artists in France, said "this is a national movement".

"Regional unions have responded and it's starting to build. They are getting organised," she told AFP from inside the Odeon on Tuesday.

Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot visited the Odeon on Saturday and vowed to continue talks, but the union response has been unequivocal.

"Occupy! Occupy! Occupy!" was the call on Tuesday from the culture section of the CGT union, adding that this was a direct follow-on from the "Yellow Vest" protests that rocked the country two years ago.

'Opening essential'

At the Colline Theatre, dozens of students were seen with signs reading: "Opening essential" and "Bachelot, if you don't open, we're coming to play at your house".

A source from the theatre said some 30 arts students had been allowed to enter the theatre by its director, the celebrated theatre writer and director Wajdi Mouawad, who was in the middle of rehearsals when they arrived on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, students in Strasbourg described their protest as an "act of mobilisation aimed at showing the government the gravity of our situation and to improve the rights of freelancers hurt by the health crisis", calling for similar occupations across France.

As well as a reopening of cultural spaces, the protesters want an extension of the tax exemption for freelancers (currently in place until August 2021), and better support for other seasonal and self-employed workers, as well as urgent efforts to address the financial and mental health crises faced by students amid the pandemic.

France has one of the world's most generous support systems for artists, providing a living wage to all sorts of people working in the arts and media.

But the system has been strained by the upheaval of the pandemic, and many have fallen through the cracks.

There is also consternation over some of the government's decisions, such as keeping large museums shut while allowing small private galleries to reopen.


© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

March 11, 2021

With a bounty of treasures from the East, Asia Week New York opens

Charles Hill, detective who found 'The Scream,' dies at 73

The Metropolitan Museum of Art issues report reflecting on historic past year and looking ahead

Morse Museum announces gift of Stebbins American Art Collection

He owns world famous stamps and a prized coin. Now he's selling.

New book explores the musical life and the remarkable paintings and sculptures of Bob Crewe

Robert Swain's scaled color studies for monumental series on view at David Richard Gallery

Three 'garage find' projects from the estate of Terry Harrison come to the market

Robert B. Feldman donates major aerial sculpture installation by Mira Lehr to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU

Barbara Ess, 76, dies; Artist blurred lines between life and art

Marisa Merz, Luciano Fabro, Steven Parrino: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein receives important donation

Vial from first US Covid vaccine dose goes to museum

Xavier Hufkens opens an exhibition of recent and historical work by Sherrie Levine

Oscars museum to tackle 'problematic history' of racism, sexism

Laura Owens collaborates with local teens for first exhibition in her native Northeast Ohio

2021 Smithsonian Visionary Award honors artists who work in wood

The original art for the greatest jam session in the history of the DC Universe heads to auction

A new 'Aida' lands in the middle of France's culture wars

Grolier Club shows how fury, plagiarism, hypocrisy, and madness once plagued grammarians

European Cultural Institutes in New York spearhead a transatlantic, collaborative art initiative

French theatres occupied as protesters demand reopening

Haus der Kunst opens the largest retrospective of Phyllida Barlow's career to date

MAXXI opens a retrospective on Aldo Rossi

In Hawaii, reimagining tourism for a post-pandemic world

Are Online Let It Ride Bonuses Available?

UGears 3D Wooden Mechanical Models: Collect And Enjoy!

The decisive maneuver to Essay Writing

Tweets from Elon Musk and celebrities fuel DOGE continuous price growth

Stressed? These Creative Outlets Could Help

10 Cool Things You Can Make with A 3D Printer




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful