Nanterre: the Amandiers theater threatened with a reduction of 800,000 euros in subsidies

The Théâtre des Amandiers, in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine), could see its budget cut by nearly 800,000 euros in 2026 after a possible cancellation of credits by the Ministry of Culture, warned the mayor of Nanterre on Thursday. The establishment is one of the 28 performing arts structures targeted by this possible cancellation of budgetary credits by the State for the second half of 2026, according to several professional organizations in the sector.

If the cancellation of these credits were to be confirmed, the budget of the Théâtre des Amandiers would be drastically cut, warns the communist mayor of Nanterre, Raphaël Adam, in a press release. “After a first cut of 3.5% in May, the announced freeze is 13%, representing a total drop in state support of 799,775 euros in 2026” on an initial grant of nearly 5 million euros, explains the councilor.

“This unprecedented attack, in its scale and brutality, against the largest suburban theater in Europe deeply worries us”he denounces. For the director of the Théâtre des Amandiers, Christophe Rauck, if this cancellation of credits becomes effective, the theater could be forced to “file for bankruptcy”.

“We will be forced to resort to partial unemployment”

“We will be forced to resort to partial unemployment, to pay agios to the banks, to close the place in the more or less long term. This will cost the State much more than the cuts they want to make.he assures. This possible reduction in subsidies comes a few months after the inauguration of the establishment’s new premises in January, after more than four years of renovation.

Resulting from a drama festival performed in Nanterre in 1965, the structure acquired its historic building a few years later, on the edge of the André-Malraux departmental park. Established as a national drama center in 1971, it was directed by great names in contemporary theater such as Patrice Chéreau and Jean-Pierre Vincent. The theater, with three rooms, the main of which can accommodate 800 spectators, benefited from an additional 4,000m² thanks to renovation work completed at the start of the year.