Corinne Poulain has been running the Champs Libres for two years.

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J. Gicquel / 20 Minutes

  • In Rennes, subscription to the Champs Libres library and access to the Musée de Bretagne are now free since the start of the school year.

  • The management of the largest cultural facility in the city sees it as an opportunity to win over new faithful.

Free culture, culture for all?

If the question of free access to cultural venues has always been the subject of debate, it is nevertheless on this path that the Champs Libres have embarked on this return.

In September, the elected representatives of Rennes voted for free subscription to the city's libraries and access to permanent museum collections.

A measure which was part of the campaign promises of candidate Nathalie Appéré and which aims to make the cultural offer "accessible to all".

Les Champs Libres, a cultural link


⭐ Meetings, exhibitions, digital arts, collections…


📥 Download the program of our new season https://t.co/oh15ltSWDf #Rennes pic.twitter.com/y2WiTJaMH2

- Les Champs Libres (@LesChampsLibres) September 10, 2020

New director of municipal libraries and that of Champs Libres, Malik Diallo sees "an opportunity to seek out audiences who do not necessarily frequent these places".

If the price of the subscription was certainly moderate (18 euros for one year full price at the Champs Libres), it could however represent a brake for some.

"This gives an image of openness to this place which invites people to meet and mix together", underlines Malik Diallo.

Public reception still to be improved

To attract new faithful, the Champs Libres, which welcomed 1.2 million visitors last year, also rely on the quality of the welcome.

"We were a little late on that," recognizes Corinne Poulain, site manager since 2018. Lockers have recently been installed to allow travelers in transit at the station to discover the place without their luggage.

In the coming months, the reception hall will be completely reconfigured on the advice of a designer to make it more welcoming.

To accommodate all audiences, the Champs Libres have also increased their accessibility for the blind, visually impaired or suffering from dys disorders with a new Reading otherwise space which has been set up on the 4th floor of the library.

"The Champs Libres is a place of life and knowledge and we have to be a pilot on these new services," assures Corinne Poulain.

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The auditorium closed all season

In addition to the health context, the Champs Libres teams have to face a new setback.

Just out of confinement, the auditorium suffered significant water damage.

While management believed in a possible reopening at the start of the year, the venue will ultimately remain closed throughout the season.

All the conferences and events that were to be held there will therefore be relocated to other places such as the Couvent des Jacobins or the Maison des associations.

  • Library

  • Culture

  • Free