DIJON: Zutique Productions sets up “Au Maquis” to make it a cultural and tourist venue
The former lock house 51S of the Burgundy Canal is transformed into a cultural and tourist place which promises creations and encounters as Frédéric Ménard, director of Zutique Productions, presented it on May 24th. Doors open July 1.
Lock house 51S on the edge of the Burgundy Canal, on the border between Dijon and Plombières-lès-Dijon, accessible in particular on foot, a few hundred meters after the nautical base and the tennis courts of Lake Kir along the canal, n is no longer vacant. 2019, it has been rehabilitated since to be able to accommodate “a cultural, social and tourist project”. These are the words of Frédéric Ménard, director of Zutique Productions, who will therefore have his own place.
If the Dijon association will keep a foothold in Les Grésilles – in an apartment in Grand Dijon Habitat -, a district where it has been operating for 25 years at the Coursive Boutaric, Zutique Productions, at the initiative of the Tribu Festival, carrier of Grésilles en fête and which contributes to the Nuits d’Orient as well as to the reception of street artists on the MUR, will speak at Au Maquis. This is the name of the future place mentioned, whose characteristics Zutique Productions unveiled on the ground on Tuesday May 24, 2022.
Property of VNF, the structure in question was part of the Open Canal programme, a call for projects launched by the operator aimed at revitalizing the banks and consequently the 70 vacant lock houses near the Burgundy Canal.
The Zutique Productions project having therefore been selected, the total cost of the rehabilitation operation amounts to 450,000 euros, half of which will be borne by VNF (structural work, earthworks, plumbing, sanitation) and the other half by the Dijon association helped, within the framework of the canal contract, to the tune of 60,000 euros by the State and the FNADT, 50,000 euros by Dijon Métropole, as much by the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region and 20,000 euros by the Department of Golden Coast.
The spring was punctuated by several participatory construction sites at Au Maquis, with 70 volunteers volunteering for the refreshment work. People hosted at Cesam, at the Acodège and at the Cada de Plombières-lès-Dijon also took part.
See you at the Maquis canteen from July 1st
The house stands on an area of 1,800 m2. It will make it possible to accommodate artists in residence in winter, three bedrooms being presented upstairs, but also to offer workshops and concerts, in a place open to all, during the high season (spring-summer). The old garage has also been transformed into a space for multidisciplinary artistic residences.
Overlooking one side of the field, the layout and equipment of a professional kitchen allows the team to plan for the opening of an outdoor restaurant on July 1st. The appointment is already given at the canteen of the Maquis.
A wooden terrace of 70 m2 covered by nomadic tents gives the possibility of serving about forty covers. The opening is scheduled until August 28, from Friday evening to Sunday evening, with also services on Saturday and Sunday noon. The opportunity for Frédéric Ménard to confirm that everyone can come to Au Maquis, “residents of Dijon, Plombières, passers-by, walkers, bike tourists, barges”.
If the vegetable and landscape ideas are dependent on nature and will only be visible next year or more, a vegetable garden is already imagined on the side of the garage. On the other hand, on the terrace side, it will be necessary to “find solutions to live with the invasive Japanese knotweed”. The project leaders imagine that said a landscaped corner with the help of the Jardin de l’Arquebuse and the students of the BTS Landscape of the agricultural school of Quetigny, “visible in two-three years”.
“See comment walkers and visitors will use the place”
For now, at Au Maquis, we are looking forward to the first test season and its opening weekend, from Friday July 1 to Sunday July 3, 2022. All the artistic programming will be unveiled on June 15.
Frédéric Ménard gave some leads. The Tribu Brass Band, an orchestra created by Zutique Productions around world music, will be there. Around July 14, the theme of the ball will be developed. And this first season will see the association offering a cycle on regional languages with the Maison du patrimoine oral de Bourgogne.
Zutique is in music but not only. Theater is also announced. The first season will allow us to “see how we will inhabit the place, see how walkers and visitors will use it”, according to Frédéric Ménard, who also slips the idea of ”making it a base for art projects in the public space” with partner cultural structures such as the Ateliers Vortex, the Consortium or the Jérôme Thomas company and the CirQ’ônflex association.
Near the terrace of the future café-bar-restaurant, the installation of a stage and a covered space that can accommodate 200 people has been announced. Before other projects already in the pipeline for the 2023 season to expand the possibilities of artistic residency and creation. All this with the desire not to set prices for concerts, “at free and conscious prices”, so as not to create prohibitive conditions of access to the venue.
Geographical location obliges, not far in particular from Velars-sur-Ouche where 115,000 passages of cycle tourists are noted by one according to the sensors of VNF, Au Maquis is positioned as a place at the same time and cultural tourist. The strong association of eight employees should hire two additional people including a cook.
To pursue the ambitions mentioned, knowing also that the first season announced is estimated between 60,000 and 70,000 euros, the Dijon association will launch a crowdfunding campaign on the Zest platform during the month of June.
Alix Berthier
Photos: Alix Berthier