The director of the Toursky Theater in Marseille on hunger strike

Since February 7, Richard Martin, 80, a figure on the Marseille scene, has been on hunger strike. The director of the Théâtre Toursky, which he himself founded in the deprived district of Saint-Maura in 1970, intends to protest against a reduction of €80,000 in the subsidy granted to him by the municipality. This cut took place in full exercise in March 2022 and has just been renewed for 2023.

The total amount of the municipal subsidy still amounts to €950,000, but Richard Martin affirms that this planing has had dramatic consequences. Thus “four positions have been eliminated since the end of December for economic reasons”, he wrote in an “open letter” posted on the website of his theater. He adds that after the city, the department in turn reduced its envelope for the theater by €15,000. A round table desired by the general council with the theater and its various partners was to take place on February 1, then “was canceled at the last moment by the town hall”, affirms Richard Martin.

This is the fourth time that the latter has started a hunger strike to denounce the cuts in subsidies suffered by his theater, first by the Ministry of Culture in 1981 and 2009, then by the city of Marseille, then directed by Jean-Claude Gaudin in 2019. At the time, he received the support of the communist municipal councilor, Jean-Marc Coppola, who praised this “internationally known and recognized theater, anchored in a working-class district”.

“They want to push me out”

Today, the story is no longer the same. Having become deputy for culture, Jean-Marc Coppola demands “transparency in the accounts of the Toursky Theater” according to the Marsactu site. He also wants to be drawn up “prospects for the future”, as for the succession at the head of the establishment, the town hall being the owner of the walls.

“Jean-Marc Coppola pretexts the cancellation of the Russian festival, yet replaced by other shows, to make us look like bad managers”, defends the director of the Richard Martin Theater, convinced of being the victim of “political reprisals” , following his support for the right-wing candidate, Bruno Gilles, during the last municipal elections. “I have been asked to submit a file to be a candidate for my own succession. They want to push me out because of my age. But has it been invoked for Peter Brook or Ariane Mnouchkine? “, is moved the actor.

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