Paris (AFP)

The new Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, wishes to quickly organize "states general of the festivals" in Avignon, with Olivier Py, the current director of the festival, canceled due to the health crisis linked to the coronavirus.

"My first project is first to organize the Estates General of the festivals", and "I really hope to organize them in Avignon", said Roselyne Bachelot in an interview published on Wednesday on the Télérama website.

During her visit with Franck Riester on Monday, she stressed "the absolute urgency of helping to get back on track and in good condition for cultivation sites" after the pandemic.

She claims to have seen the director of the theater festival, Olivier Py, "who agrees that we work on the subject", specifying "wish" that it remains in office.

"I want to launch this very quickly because we have to work on the cultural, economic and social model of festivals. We can't just say to ourselves + we're going to get out of the crisis, we're going to give money, we're going to give aid + - it is necessary, it is a basic condition, but we must go further ", continued Ms. Bachelot.

With nearly 1,500 shows, more than 1,000 companies and thousands of professionals, the Avignon festival is the largest live performance market in France: nearly 20% of parts purchases in France are made there.

© 2020 AFP