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| Avignon Off | |
|---|---|
| Name | Avignon Off |
| Location | Avignon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France |
| Established | 1966 |
| Dates | July (annual) |
| Genre | Theatre, performance, contemporary art |
Avignon Off is an annual component of the summer theatrical season in Avignon that runs concurrently with the Festival d'Avignon. Founded as a countercurrent to institutional programming, it has grown into a dense network of independent companies, venues, and producers presenting diverse performances during July. The Off operates within a dense field of French and international cultural institutions and festivals, intersecting with circuits that include metropolitan theatres, regional centres, and international biennales.
The Off emerged in 1966 amid a constellation of cultural movements overlapping with personalities and institutions such as Jean Vilar, Festival d'Avignon, Comédie-Française, Théâtre National Populaire, cultural debates of the 1960s and organisations like Maison de la Culture de Grenoble and Centre dramatique national. Early years saw links with companies associated with Gérard Philipe, Peter Brook, Artaud, and ensembles influenced by Jerzy Grotowski and Bertolt Brecht. Over subsequent decades the Off adapted alongside developments represented by Mai 68, the expansion of Centre Georges Pompidou, the rise of regional networks tied to DRAC administrations and policies of ministers such as André Malraux and Jack Lang. The 1980s and 1990s registered interactions with international festivals including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Avignon Festival d'été programmes and touring circuits linked to institutions like Théâtre du Rond-Point and La Colline. In the 21st century the Off has engaged with contemporary practices associated with figures and events such as Robert Wilson, Woody Allen (film theatre crossovers), Festival d'Avignon 2003, European Capital of Culture programmes and collaborations with networks like CITI and IETM.
The Off functions as a decentralized association of independent producers, festival promoters, and venue managers, interfacing with municipal and regional bodies including Avignon City Council, Vaucluse Department, and regional cultural offices in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Coordination is facilitated by organizations like Syndicat National des Entreprises Artistiques et Culturelles, booking agencies such as ARCADI and producer networks akin to Association française d'action artistique. Administrative relationships connect to funding sources including Centre national du théâtre, DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and European frameworks like Creative Europe. The Off's governance blends cooperative committees, producer collectives patterned after structures seen at La Villette and Théâtre National de Bretagne, and commercial promoters resembling those in Edinburgh Fringe Society and Spoleto Festival USA.
Programming in the Off encompasses theatre, contemporary dance, performance art, street spectacle, music-theatre hybrids and experimental projects, often staged by companies associated with names such as Compagnie Philippe Genty, Compagnie Chénier, Compagnie Les Héritiers and international ensembles with lineages linked to Pina Bausch and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Works range from classical reinterpretations referencing Molière, Shakespeare, and Beckett to new writing by playwrights related to Samuel Beckett's legacy or contemporary authors connected to Wajdi Mouawad, Yasmina Reza, Jean-Luc Lagarce and Stéphane Mallarmé adaptations. The Off frequently hosts premieres, co-productions with institutions like Théâtre de la Ville, Opéra national de Paris collaborations, and touring projects negotiated through agencies such as Trempolino and networks like On the Move.
Performances take place across a patchwork of spaces: small theatres, temporary tents, churches, courtyards and public squares historically linked to sites such as Palais des Papes, Place de l'Horloge, Rue des Teinturiers and nearby towns like Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Arles. Independent venues have included converted chapels reminiscent of spaces used by Théâtre de l'Odéon and warehouses like those in Le Mans fringe circuits. Site-specific projects have exploited urban topographies similar to commissions at Festival d'Avignon landmarks and outdoor spectacles following precedents set by Fête de la Musique and Nuit Blanche events.
The Off attracts domestic and international audiences, critics from outlets such as Le Monde, Libération, The Guardian, The New York Times and programming scouts from institutions like Sydney Festival and Biennale di Venezia. Its marketplace dynamics influence touring patterns across European seasons, affecting repertory at venues like Théâtre du Châtelet, Festival d'Avignon 1971 retrospectives, and repertory decisions at regional houses such as Scène nationale d'Aix-en-Provence. The Off contributes to tourism flows in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, local hospitality businesses, and the professional trajectories of directors, designers, and actors who later join companies like Comédie-Française or international festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Artists and companies who have appeared or whose practices resonate with the Off include Ariane Mnouchkine, Peter Brook, Robert Wilson, Tadeusz Kantor, Pina Bausch, Wajdi Mouawad, Thomas Ostermeier, Ivo van Hove, Katie Mitchell, Nicolas Stemann, Kristóf Szabó, Compagnie Éric Vigner, Compagnie Philippe Genty, Compagnie Théâtre de la Ville, Compagnie La Fura dels Baus, Compagnie Théâtre du Soleil, Compagnie Les Brigands, Compagnie Les Chiens de Navarre, Compagnie La Horde, Compagnie Royal de Luxe, Compagnie Théâtre de l'Heure Bleue, Compagnie Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, Compagnie Théâtre du Campagnol, Compagnie Théâtre de la Bastille, Compagnie Théâtre du Loup, Compagnie Théâtre de la Ville.
The Off has faced disputes over municipal regulation, ticketing practices, and competition with the official Festival d'Avignon, echoing conflicts seen in other festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and debates involving bodies like European Festivals Association. Criticism has focused on commercialization analogous to critiques aimed at Glastonbury Festival and accusations of unequal access to funding comparable to disputes with Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée allocations. Artistic controversies have involved programming ethics, labor conditions paralleling controversies at institutions like La Scala and debates about curatorial gatekeeping similar to those in Biennale di Venezia contexts.
Category:Theatre festivals in France