Focus on Festival d’Aix-en-Provence
Raise awareness of jobs prospects onstage and backstage in the opera world (costumes, backdrops, sound, light…) among youths on integration paths in the region.
Éric Lelouch, General Manager of Pullman Marseilles Palm Beach.
The Festival International d’Art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence has emerged as a highlight that nobody who likes opera in France and far beyond wants to miss, since it was first held in 1948. It takes place in June and July every year, and more than 65,000 spectators enjoyed at least one of the 4 opera productions, 19 concerts and 29 other live performances from 27 June to 31 July 2009.
In 2009, the Accor Foundation financed part of the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence programme (4 opera productions, about 15 concerts and other live performances, and 40+ other events involving music).
This Festival has also been focusing on sparking interest in opera among students in the area and has been busy on countless projects to bring back youths in difficulty from the fringes through opera-related trades (costumes, backdrops, sound and light…).
It has a dedicated educational team running these projects in the Ateliers de Venelles, the workshops that make the costumes and backdrops for the festival, which has become “an open door to explore and a training centre to teach opera backstage trades”.
In 2010, the Accor Foundation backed plans to open and fit a classroom in the Ateliers de Venelles to showcase the full breadth of opera-related trades (carpentry, prop production, hairdressing, sewing, sound and light, acting, decorating…).
In 2011, it will be creating an educational-experience trail through these Ateliers, through the steps involved in creating backdrops, costumes and props. This will entail bolstering the teaching team.
This classroom and educational-experience trail will take in 1,500 youths from around the area on three programmes to share and raise their awareness of the skills and expertise in the opera realm:
- An evening at the Festival, path for young audiences;
- Exploring the technical trades, path for local students;
- Bridges, path for young job-seekers.
