2024-01-18 20:58:07
The first trip of a new minister always carries a symbolic message. That of Rachida Dati, Thursday January 18, contained two: one, political, because the Minister of Culture accompanied President Emmanuel Macron; the other societal, through the choice of location, Clichy sous-bois and Montfermeil (Seine-Saint-Denis), where young talents from the Ateliers Médicis engaged in hip-hop and music performances.
“Give better access to culture and make it a lever for equal opportunities”, this is the official roadmap set by the Head of State to the Minister of Culture. She has asserted her desire for “popular culture” since taking office, while confirming her ambitions for Paris town hall.
Clichy Sous-Bois, home to the 2005 riots, was well suited to this first media outing, in the presence of the president of the Île-de-France Region Valérie Pécresse, representatives of the Greater Paris Metropolis, and the president of the departmental council Stéphane Troussel (PS)… and around fifty journalists.
« The trip of the president and the minister is a reality TV operation. We come to restore an image, deplores Philippe Rio, Mayor (PCF) of Grigny (Essonne) and vice-president of the association of City and Suburbs elected officials. Today, access to culture for residents of working-class neighborhoods is complex and hampered. During the last interministerial committees of the City (CIV), culture was not mentioned. It is an unthinkable move by the State, a blind spot in city politics.We must organize a Grenelle of popular culture », Demands the elected official.
Local initiatives highlighted
In the presence of the Head of State, two hip-hop dancers from the IZAO Association whirl to music more rhythm’n’blues than rap. Children from the Demos Orchestra of Clichy, which, in conjunction with the local Conservatory and the help of the Philharmonie de Paris, allows students far from classical culture to play, launch a piece by Malher then perform the traditional song English Scarborough Fair.
Conductor Zahia Ziouani and some musicians from the Divertimento de Stains orchestra perform an extract from Nutcracker and another of Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saëns, inspired by Algerian culture “, she specifies. A small exhibition of work from the associative visual arts project La Renverse concludes the cultural event of approximately half an hour.
Opening access to culture during the Olympics
The political event takes place in a few moments and short sentences. Rachida Dati, stopped by a little girl who said to her: “ I am proud of you, your example inspires me “. Emmanuel Macron, professor, reformulating his priorities for young people: “ First, education at school. Second, the Culture Pass. Third, access to culture for all. Fourth, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will shine; as many orchestras and representatives of culture as possible must be associated with this sporting event. ».
The head of state declared that he wanted “open access to culture” around the Olympic Games, with a range of theatre, music and even cinema on offer “completely free” during the “two months of summer” 2024.
Rachida Dati must “come back in a few weeks with a detailed program” pour “open access during these two summer months to culture, not just in Seine-Saint-Denis but throughout the country”, indicated the head of state. The objective will be “that we can have access to the theater, that we can have access to music” and maybe at the cinema “if certain distributors and certain cinemas are ready to do so”and that “completely free so that these Olympics are truly for everyone”said Emmanuel Macron.
A highly applauded minister
The young people present on site, disciplined, politely applaud the politicians and frankly the young students of Démos. We talk about media education, music and cinema. The location lends itself to this: opened in 2018, the Ateliers Médicis, an artist residency inspired by the model of «Villa Medici» in Rome in 2018, aim to bring out voices “new and various” like the filmmaker Ladj Ly, who developed his film school there.
The visit of approximately two hours ends with a crowd bath of the Head of State and his minister, much applauded. Not a whistle in this audience of guests, not a false note, few interventions from Rachida Dati, all smiles, when the president declares: “ You are beautiful and when you see Rachida Dati, you see that you look like her ».
Emmanuel Macron is said to have promised young people from Clichy places for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which delights them and leaves them skeptical. “ Really ? U.S. too ? » asks a teenage exhibitor at La Renverse. This shows that access to culture for all remains a vast undertaking.
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