“We call for the pressure to be maintained throughout the summer,” wrote the entertainment branch of the CGT in a press release published Friday July 17, the day after an “agora” on the sidelines of the Avignon Festival which brought together 300 people, according to the union.
The live performance sector has been weakened for several years by budget cuts at both the state and local authority levels. The day before the opening of the festival, the largest international theater event, 28 cultural structures, including national stages such as the Criée in Marseille, opera houses and orchestras, learned that they were threatened with seeing their state subsidies for the year 2026 cut from 10% to 13%, this portion being “frozen” and subject to negotiation with Bercy.
Actions in September
The idea of a possible strike or walkouts during the second half of the festival had been raised before the agora was held but was ultimately not retained, the union told AFP, which explained that it wanted to “take the time to build (the movement, Editor’s note) with the entire profession”.
“A big week of actions will start everywhere in France on September 21 and we will call for a strike and mobilization from September 26,” writes the CGT Spectacle. She recommends “general assemblies wherever possible” and plans, between now and September, to speak at each festival and a call to sign a petition demanding in particular to devote 1% of the state budget to culture (compared to 0.7% today). A new gathering is planned in Avignon on Wednesday July 22 and another at the Chalon dans la rue festival (July 23 to 26 in Chalon-sur-Saône).
