EPCC LE QUAI
EPCC - LE QUAI
EPCC-LE QUAI is an Etablissement Public de Coopération Culturelle. It was founded together with Théâtre Le Quai and is an integral part of this innovative and multidisciplinary cultural organization, which was initiated by the city of Angers and its partners the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Loire region, Maine-et-Loire department, and the EU.
A public institution
EPCC-Le Quai is inextricably bound up with Le Quai itself and with carrying out the intentions of its public sector founders. As an agent of cultural democratization, EPCC-Le Quai constantly reinvents itself and is dedicated to serving the public in the interest of promoting the performing arts - a sector that is likewise constantly evolving.
Cultural cooperation
EPCC-Le Quai’s main mission is to promote collaborative artistic and cultural undertakings that various institutional partners wish to engage in. Such undertakings (a) involve actors in the catchment area of Le Quai, as well as the Maine river, Angers and Loire river regions; and (b) allow for participation by actors at the municipal, national and European levels. Toward these ends, the Comité de Direction Artistique et Culturelle (CODAC) (Artistic and cultural steering committee) was established as an umbrella organization for two other artistic entities (CNDC and NTA) that are based at EPCC-Le Quai.
In the two years since its inception, this collaborative arrangement has allowed for resource pooling among the three organizations - which starting next season will be engaging in the following joint projects:
• Program development for younger audiences, who will be offered greater accessibility to cultural offerings via Le Quai’s T-OK performance series.
• Implementation of a series of events at Le Forum (lobby area)
• Realization of a performing arts festival in May 2010
The cultural community
EPCC-Le Quai needs to face the challenge of dovetailing productively with other actors in the cultural community. Although EPCC-Le Quai acts as a facilitator, initiator and coordinator of cultural and artistic projects, it nonetheless remains a key driver of new evolutions by providing support for the artistic process.
Although in-house productions are a priority that EPCC-Le Quai shares with CNDC and NTA, it will also be supporting the following external projects this season:
• Flux by the Théâtre du Centaure company (March 2010)
• Dehors peste le chiffre noir by the Interlude company (May 2010)
• Spartacus by the Théâtre de la Licorne company (September 2010)
Support for theatrical performances
Having supported musical and circus performances since its inception, this season Le Quai is branching out into performances for children and their parents via a new program known as T-OK.
T-OK was established in collaboration with CNDC and NTA with a view to enabling families to enjoy the pleasures of the performing arts together, and so as to ensure, by presenting performance series, that Le Quai will be frequented by younger audiences and their families. We hope that T-OK will encourage new audiences to come to Le Quai and discover the following 11 shows that make up the program:
• A show for small children: La Brouille dans l’Autoc’Art
• A series for children aged 5-8; subscribers can choose from three of the following five shows: Aldebert, La Balle Rouge, La Banquet de la Mandibule, Je leur construisais des labyrinthes..., and La Prophétie des Mécas.
• A series for children aged 8 and up; subscribers can choose from three of the following five shows: The Crystal and the Sphere, Faim de loup, Pinok et Barbie, and Tête à claques - plus, in January 2010, a silent movie accompanied by live music, in collaboration with Festival Premiers Plans.
In addition to performances for children (apart from The Crystal and the Sphere, a show for audiences of all ages that is nonetheless included in the T-OK), we feel it is important to provide live entertainment for the whole family. Toward this end, Traces, Nebbia and Pinocchio, which are for audiences aged 6 and up, are being offered this season. All three of Le Quai’s organizations have worked together to set prices for these shows - whose productions are especially elaborate - that will be affordable for all concerned (full price tickets cost EUR 14).
We also feel it is important to support young local musicians, some of whom audiences will have the opportunity to discover (thanks to our partnership with Le Chabada) while sipping a post-performance drink at Bar du Forum.
By the same token, we would like Le Forum (lobby area) to also be a crossroads of the arts. Toward this end, in partnership with Centre National des Arts de la Rue/La Paperie, this season a number of theatrical companies will be presenting sorties de fabrique (open rehearsals/performances of works in progress) at Le Quai, one example being Une Cerise Noire in October.
And finally, Le Quai also offers audiences the opportunity to learn more about the nuts and bolts of the performing arts, via masterclasses in Le Forum (lobby area) that are open to the public.
Cultural programs for families and children
Via our new T-OK project, we are implementing a series of family and children oriented cultural events.
In the interest of strengthening the bond between performers and audiences via performances realized outside the confines of Le Quai, two T-OK shows will be presented in such venues - namely at the cultural centers La Maison Pour Tous Monplaisir and Le Trois Mâts aux Justices.
There will be 16 T-OK performances (in collaboration with NTA) at which parents can attend a show while their children attend workshops.
And finally, as part of the series of regular events in Le Forum (lobby area), roundtable discussions known as Cafés-Forum will be held at which various cultural and political issues will be explored. These events will be co-sponsored by Terre des Sciences, the local university, or Angers Centre de Ressources Européennes (AnCRE).