Culture & Politics
What Role for Festivals in Shaping Local Cultural Policies?
Friday, 19 June, 2026 @ 14h - Les Subs
Talks
120 min
Les Subs / Arcadia
Organised and moderated by Nicolas Bertrand, in partnership with Cie Maqamat – Dance People, France Festivals, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Spectacle Vivant, RESET! – Arty Farty, the European Festivals Association and A Soul for Europe.
The Dance People festival brings together festival directors from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and local elected representatives to reflect on the role of festivals in shaping local cultural policies.
In a context marked by multiple crises, culture is often mobilized as a lever for attractiveness and image-building. But what about its intrinsic value? What about its role in fostering democratic vitality, civic participation, and the construction of a shared common ground?
How can the values embodied by festivals — collective artistic experience, strong local anchoring, and diversity of voices — inspire public action? How can artistic excellence be reconciled with political responsibility?
This event will also be open to artists and the general public.
Nicolas Bertrand is an independent consultant, based between Lyon and Geneva. He specializes in designing and facilitating international cooperation in the performing arts, music, and heritage sectors, as well as in European funding.
Active in several European cultural networks, he contributes to coordinating the Festival Cities and Regions platform for the European Festivals Association, has been involved in organizing the conference A Soul for Europe in Berlin since 2006, and co-organized the first IETM meeting in Lyon in 2021.
From 2001 to 2018, he was the administrator of the Image Aiguë company (directed by Christiane Véricel), which created and toured its productions in more than 40 countries.