Culture: attendance in theaters still down compared to before the crisis

magictr | January 4, 2024 | Art | No Comments

Attendance in cinemas and live shows at the start of the year shows a drop of around 25% compared to the same period before the health crisis, said Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot on Sunday.

The minister, however, said she expected “a great festival season” , assuring that she would continue “to help all those who need it”.

In total, nearly 14 billion euros were mobilized in favor of the world of culture in France since the start of the health crisis, according to new figures from the ministry.

“Everyone recognizes that there is no country that has done as much as France to save its culture,” assured Ms. Bachelot on the program “Les Enfants de la République” broadcast on Sunday on Radio J.

Artists are “tired, anxious but do not emerge exhausted” from the crisis.

However, nuance- she says, “I'm not being wildly optimistic (…) I know very well that in cinema, there's still a 25% drop in attendance, in live performance too” at this time. beginning of the year, compared to the same period before the Covid-19 crisis.

This figure varies between 20 and 25% depending on the theaters, compared to the same time 2019, the ministry is told.

Live performance in particular is witnessing a “phenomenon of bipolarization” according to her: “there are shows that work”, with full rooms, and others where the audience is not there.< /p>

Restrictions have started to be lifted, such as the maximum capacity for seated audiences set at 2,000 people which ended on February 2 and will be followed by the return of standing concerts on the 16th. February.

“There are scheduling problems because standing concerts are generally international tours. Standing concerts will have more difficulty returning to normal than classical concerts”, underlined Ms. Bachelot.

According to the minister, the world of culture is “confronted at the same time with” an extremely lasts and (…) in the great wind of digital, the appearance of the metaverse. It's extremely violent, this double anguish.”

In addition, the minister specified that the painting “Roses under the trees” by Gustav Klimt was “recently returned” to its beneficiaries.

On January 25, the The National Assembly unanimously adopted a law to return 15 works of art, including the painting by Klimt and one by Marc Chagall, to the beneficiaries of Jewish families despoiled by the Nazis.

Questioned about Eric Zemmour's attempt “to rehabilitate Pétain, the so-called savior of French Jews”, Ms. Bachelot affirmed that the presidential candidate “was no longer in line with republican principles”.

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