In the midst of cascading cancellations of cultural events due to Covid-19, the Trente Trente festival is an exception. For their 19^and edition, these live arts meetings, which highlight the short and multidisciplinary formats of contemporary creation, are held in the Bordeaux metropolis until February 10. They must live to the rhythm of a health context that often overflows into the artistic form. And, like almost all cultural events, had to adapt to the introduction of the vaccination pass on January 24.

Jean-Luc Terrade, director of the Trente Trente festival: “It’s exhausting, it takes crazy energy to keep things going”

Jean-Luc Terrade, director of the Girondin festival, has also almost given up. “I wanted to say “I quit, it’s no longer possible”. It’s exhausting, it takes crazy energy to keep things going,” he confides. The transformation of the health pass into a vaccination pass did not add any additional constraint because the pressure of the epidemic had already been operating on cultural events for many months. Reservations are made day by day and the festival and its teams live in uncertainty: will the hall be full? Will cases of Covid-19 be declared in the troops, among the technicians and the organizers?

Of the 26 companies at the festival, two canceled their visit after cases declared positive for Covid-19, as did a musician from a company and an author. Jean-Luc Terrade has agreed to pay for the session anyway. He already admits to being lucky to maintain his project under these conditions, but “everything is in fragility, he points out. We are holding on but we will suffer the consequences afterwards”. For him, “there are so many ancillary concerns that the artistic side takes second place”. A feeling shared by the artists who perform as part of the festival.

“Communicate more”

Only a few hours before the start of his performance on stage at the Atelier des Marches, in Le Bouscat, the choreographer Arthur Perole is reassured, the room promises to be full. However, he recounts the difficulties encountered by this stress of last-minute reservations which seem to have taken precedence over the artistic choice. “It creates big fears for us, artists, and for the places. Yesterday it was difficult to fill the room, today it’s full. » Director of his company, he must also manage his teams with the control of the vaccination pass. “We have to find the right tone, while taking on issues that concern us as an employer. » He did not encounter any difficulties with those who work with him: “People know they need to be vaccinated to work. We are not in a question of choice or values. »

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