The demonstration opens on the weekend of the first round of legislative elections and the director believes that it is his “responsibility” to call on the French to “vote in the democratic field.
The director of the Avignon Festival Tiago Rodrigues called on Friday to “block the extreme right” during the legislative elections and assured of cooperating with the city to “guarantee successful completion” of the ballot, the two rounds of which, June 30 and July 7, take place during the festival.
“I take my share of responsibility, as director of the Avignon Festival, by encouraging everyone to vote and defend the democratic field in the next elections”he told AFP. “Living up to our responsibility and our values means blocking the extreme right, and voting in the democratic field, following one’s conscience”, he added. He indicated that the mayor of Avignon, Cécile Helle, the presidents of the Off festival and himself, in particular, would hold a joint press conference on Monday in the Court of Honor of the Palais des Papes in order to have a common expression on this particular edition. “Let’s mobilize!” says the invitation to the press conference.
“We define ourselves as a citizen, popular, republican, democratic festival and we encourage the public, employees, artists who can vote to do so”added Tiago Rodrigues, who clarified that he, being Portuguese, is not taking part in the vote.
The director assured that he was “in cooperation with the town hall, the prefecture, to guarantee that the successful completion of the festival is completely compatible with the successful completion of the elections and maximum participation”. According to him, the festival, “in the troubled context of French politics” after the dissolution of the National Assembly by Emmanuel Macron, “is more necessary than ever”.
“At a time when we see a very polarized society, where speeches are very simplified, the Avignon festival can contribute to maintaining the diversity of speeches, the capacity for debate and the fertile richness of democratic dissensus”. Ce, “by offering a collective experience to the public which creates social cohesion and allows a dialogue with different points of view on the theater and on the world”.
The In Festival starts on June 29 and runs until July 21. The Off begins on July 3, until the same date. Several artists, performing arts unions and festivals have taken a stand in recent days to block the far right.