After nine successful years the directors of the Festival Musical Durtal (Loire Region, France) just learned via a standard administrative letter that the €10,000 subsidy requested for the 2025 edition has been withdrawn.
Until the 2024 edition this festival has been possible thanks to the support of the Pays de la Loire Region. However, the President of the Region, Madame Morançais, has unilaterally decided to cut regional aid for culture by 73% by 2025.
For the record, Durtal is a rural town with a population of 3,600, 60% of whom are blue-collar, white-collar and retired.
A public that is, on the face of it, far removed from classical music. The management says: « Over the past 10 years, we have spared no effort to make this music accessible to as many people as possible: free concerts, school visits, etc. Thanks to the Festival Musical Durtal, the Pays de la Loire region is now known to music lovers the world over. »
The Festival Musical Durtal team is made up entirely of volunteers.
They have personally invested in converting the Chapelle Saint Léonard into a concert hall and recording studio, and in restoring the Résidence du Bout du Monde to provide artists with the best possible working conditions.
Now, facing the agony of the festival, Agnès Yamakado, President, and
Pierric Guennégan, Artistic Director, say: « We may be small, but we’re no less determined to defend culture for everyone. Culture is an absolute emergency. We call on the Region to reverse this decision, which will destabilize the entire cultural sector in Pays de la Loire, with the inherent economic consequences, the inevitable consequence of which will be totalitarianism. »
