France suspends its artistic cooperation with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, live performance denounces a “political error” – Libération

2023-09-14 17:31:08

The Ministry of Culture on Wednesday, September 13, ordered subsidized French structures to cease all collaboration with three countries in the Sahel where putsches have been carried out in recent months. After the outcry, rue de Valois clarified that artists already scheduled in France were not affected.

It is an “unprecedented” letter, according to its recipients, which marks for them a profound philosophical shift in the policy that France intended to pursue in terms of international artistic solidarity. On Wednesday September 13 in the morning, the general secretariat of the Ministry of Culture, on instructions from the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, ordered by letter to subsidized French cultural structures to “suspend, until further notice, all cooperation with following countries: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso. Consequently, all cooperation projects that are carried out by your establishments or your services with institutions or nationals of these three countries must be suspended, without delay, and without any exception. Also gone are any forms of financial support, invitations issued to nationals of these three countries, and any form of visas obviously – the latter had already been frozen since the end of July, but the letter is clear: “without exception”, “until new order”. In addition to the tone considered “comminatory” of the message, its content provoked the incomprehension of several unions and associations in the sector, responding immediately with press releases.

The world music network Zone Franche, an association which manages the Artist Visas system aimed at streamlining the circulation of artists, was preparing to inaugurate the new edition of their General States “Geopolitics and Music” when the letter reached them. According to them, taken in a “literal” interpretation, these measures would be in contradiction with France’s international commitments and in particular those of the 2005 UNESCO convention “on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions” . By press release, they therefore question the scope and implementation: “Does this mean that venues and festivals in France can no longer program artists from these three countries? If they were to do so, what would be the consequences? Is there a risk of loss of subsidies or anything else? Can an artist with a Schengen visa issued by a third European country, therefore having the right to travel in France, still come and express his art on our stages?

“There is reason to be appalled”

Christophe Marquis, who has been welcoming the young Burkinabe visual artist and designer Kader Kaboré to the Echangeur premises in Château-Thierry (Hauts-de-France) for three weeks, with a view to a varnished exhibition on Saturday September 16, will not cancel “ Nothing at all”. “The State, the department, the region, the city are all invited to the opening scheduled for Saturday as part of Heritage Days. I will not comment on France’s diplomatic position in this context of military putsches, but that the State is asking us to punish the artists, and in such a martial tone, there is reason to be appalled.

For the main employers’ union in the live performance sector, Syndeac, this obstacle makes “no sense from an artistic point of view and constitutes a major error from a political point of view. It is quite the opposite that should be done. This policy of banning the circulation of artists and their works has never prevailed in any other international crisis, from the most recent with Russia, to the oldest and most lasting, with China.

“It’s double punishment”

At the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, we would like to point out the difference in configuration – “there have never been Russian attacks against a French embassy”. And we specify, rejecting any form of “banning” of artists: “Projects already launched and underway in France are not concerned. The suspension only concerns new projects carried out on site, in Africa. It would therefore not be a question of “a freezing of artistic cooperation, but a freezing of the development aid policy which would be made for the benefit of the putschists, whom we do not recognize. The security conditions are too degraded.” By press release, rue de Valois added Thursday evening: “No deprogramming of artists, of whatever nationality, is requested neither by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor by the Ministry of Culture. […] This decision does not affect people who hold visas issued before this date or who reside in France or in other countries. There remains therefore, directly impacted among many others, the cooperation between the Manège de Reims, national stage, and the Termitière, choreographic development center of Ouagadougou. The French structure headed by Bruno Lobé, which regularly welcomes nationals from these countries, finances training or residency scholarships in particular, further guaranteeing La Termitière independence through the plurality of its financing.

For Salia Sanou, choreographer and creator of La Termitière, this instruction is “madness”. “Faced with the limits of political-military-diplomatic relations, culture is all that we have left as a bridge and hope for dialogue between communities.” For his part, Bruno Lobé does not see how, “from an ethical point of view, to break the links created for years with artists who work in precarious conditions”. In addition to the survival of this central place of Burkinabè cultural life, “in which hundreds of dancers and choreographers from the region place their hopes every day,” continues Salia Sanou, the decision will also impact the creation and tour of her pieces in Europe. , these including several nationals of the targeted countries. “For them, like so many others, it’s terrible, it’s double punishment.” Several unions and associations are expected to meet with the Foreign Affairs advisor to the Minister of Culture in the coming hours.