Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, france

French Government To Look At Restoring A €200,000 Grant To Angoulême

French Culture Minister Rachida Dati to look at restoring a €200,000 government grant back to Angoulême

Bleeding Cool previously reported that the French Ministry of Culture had cut funding of 200,000 Euros to the Angoulême International Comic Arts Festival after repeated allegations regarding mismanagement of the show by private organisers 9e Art+, as well as sexual assault, and boycotts announced from all major publishers and creators, and calls for its closure from local politicians.

However, last night in an interview with Ouest-France, the Minister Rachida Dati announced that she might reinstate an exceptional subsidy of that money, amidst what is seen as an existential crisis for the event next year. Dati states she hopes the event will continue. "This event is essential for comics. It's a structuring force for the region and plays a vital role in promoting access to reading, including in schools. But we're at a turning point. The festival needs to be rebuilt with authors and publishers, as well as with renewed management and governance. My responsibility is to ensure the controlled use of public funds. Therefore, I did not grant the 2025 edition the exceptional subsidy of €200,000 that has been awarded since 2022. It could be reinstated in 2026 if the conditions are met."

French newspaper Liberation has spoken to locals in Angoulême, a town of 41,000 inhabitants, where street names are displayed in speech bubbles, recycling bins resemble original comic strips, buses are adorned with drawings, and there are comic book statues and moments throughout the town. "When the cancellation was announced, it was almost a day of mourning for Angoulême. Even Covid couldn't kill the festival… We're all left with a hangover without having had a party. It's a time of great excitement: you might bump into your childhood cartoonist around a corner. Even out of season, Angoulême retains its vibrancy. We've been getting warnings for fifteen years now… Today, we mostly feel like it's a huge waste."

And a socialist councilman, Raphaël Manzanas, tells them, "The festival is a lifeline: it allows a good portion of the town's businesses to stay afloat until the warmer weather arrives. There's a reason there are so many restaurants on the plateau. Late January is a real boon. Many landlords rely on the festival to pay their property taxes, which are very high here. Students also sublet their apartments that weekend to be able to pay their rent."

Socialists and capitalists are joined in their concerns as Amaury Legrand, co-president of the Charente Hotel and Restaurant Association, is quoted as saying that the festival is "the peak of activity" in the middle of the off-season, and his association is receiving warnings from businesses  "almost daily" with a fear that the festival will go elsewhere. "One lost year is very hard. But several would be the worst-case scenario." A restaurant owner is quoted as saying, "We still can't believe it. It's going to be disastrous for our revenue. During this period, we triple, even quadruple, our income. This weekend allows us to build up cash reserves for the coming months. Everyone is disgusted that things weren't handled differently."

Anaïs Combeau, local bookstore manager, says, "We can already hear the refrain that it's the feminists' fault. But it doesn't matter… During the festival, the population quadruples! It's like telling a seaside town that no tourists will come in August… At Lilosimages, we make a month's revenue in four days… The important thing is not to put the authors in a difficult position. We fully support and understand their demands." Amaury Legrand echoes this. "We don't want a diminished festival to undermine their struggle. Please, let this crisis finally serve to clean up what has been rotting for far too long."

Cultural advisor for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Frédéric Vilcocq says, "We're going to do everything we can to ensure that this lost year doesn't kill the festival. Without it, there wouldn't be this creative economy, these jobs, these schools, these studios", and has been lobbying to keep the event where it is. With local elections a few months away, Bleeding Cool will continue to cover the news affecting the world's third-largest comic book convention, and arguably its most significant.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!