How the Machines of the Island are handling the crisis (and preparing for the "rebound")

The Machines on the island are closed during containment.

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• Due to confinements and sanitary restrictions, attendance at the Machines collapsed in 2020.

• The Nantes site hopes to reopen for the Christmas holidays.

• Ambition remains high for 2021 and the Heron Tree project.

Like many players in the cultural and tourist spheres, Les Machines de l'île are living an extremely complicated 2020.

If we take into account the current month of November, the most visited site in the Nantes conurbation will have been closed at least six months out of twelve.

And yet, its reopening in December seems very uncertain.

How does he cope with the situation?

And how does he see the future?

Update with its director, Pierre Oréfice.

Most employees on partial unemployment

Since the beginning of the reconfinement, it is dead calm at the Machines.

The site is closed to the public, as in the spring.

“All the staff [around a hundred permanent contracts] are on partial unemployment,” explains Pierre Oréfice.

We kept only the employees who are useful for securing and maintaining the gallery and the elephant.

Per day, there should be 6 to 8 employees at most.

We want to scrupulously respect the sanitary instructions.

"

Some surprise outings

Some residents may have been surprised to meet the elephant on the way out on the esplanade, despite the closure.

“We run it once a week.

The Carrousel is also run once a week so that it does not tire of standing still.

We realized that if we shut down a machine for a long time, when we restart it, we have problems.

So much the better for the few unexpected spectators.

“They are very happy to see them move, laughs Pierre Oréfice.

There was the same joy last spring.

"

The Big Elephant of the Machines of the island, July 17, 2020. - M.Fourmy / Sipa

Significant drop in attendance

After setting a record with nearly 740,000 admissions in 2019, the 2020 attendance obviously promises to be in sharp decline.

“We will end the year with 45% of visitors from last year.

For the moment, we should be at around 300,000 cumulative admissions in 2020. It is not much, but, reduced to only five months of opening, we could not do much better!

You have to remember that we had a great summer.

We also had an excellent All Saints holiday, despite a reduced capacity.

There were a lot of people on the site.

The worst punishment is to be deprived of your audience.

It really hurt us to cancel the Printemps des naves, Nantes Makers campus and the Indian Summer.

"

A deficit to be compensated for at the end of the year

Decrease in visitors necessarily means drop in revenue.

Not insignificant for such an expensive structure.

“There is a big decrease in revenue but, on the other hand, we also had less spending and partial unemployment relieved the payroll, explains Pierre Oréfice.

So we will have a deficit at the end of the year but it will be small.

Fortunately, we are fortunate to have Nantes Métropole as tutelage.

Nantes Métropole will support us.

I'm not worried.

"

The hope of the Christmas holidays

Every end of the year, the Machines site welcomes crowds during the school holidays for the Noël aux Nefs event.

What will it be this time?

" I do not know.

We are suspended from the decisions of the authorities.

We are working so that it can take place, while respecting health security of course.

We want at least to be able to illuminate the machines, to make the Ships the warmest place possible.

It would do everyone good.

"

Ambitions to bounce back in 2021

To turn the page 2020, the Machines director wants to be extremely ambitious.

Several new features will be announced, if the context allows.

" We are getting ready.

We want to mark the occasion.

The last few months have made us want to do even more.

You have to make people dream, everyone needs it, especially the local economy.

The rebound will have to be strong.

We have to send a real message of optimism.

"

The heron tree in the head

The last major project of Machines de l'Ile, the famous Heron Tree, was talked about again at the end of October with the delivery of the extraordinary Garden staircase.

The Tree, eagerly awaited by part of the population but contested by another, will not be ready before the end of 2023. “The Covid did not help us move the project forward, for sure.

But our desire is intact.

We will make sure we make up for lost time.

»The start of the construction site, the launch of public contracts, are now awaiting the green light from Nantes Métropole.

" The ball is in his court.

I think we will have some news by the end of the year.

You need to go forward.

It would be a shame, after a year of Covid, to put a project like this on hold, which will be an eminent element in the economic recovery of the territory.

We cross fingers.

"

Nantes

Deconfinement in Nantes: The Elephant of the Machines of the island back on Saturday but alone on the track

Nantes

Coronavirus: With a successful tourist season, Nantes is an exception

The Machines shop open on the Web

If its premises are closed due to confinement, the Machines de l'île shop nevertheless offers its derivatives and gift ideas for sale online.

Delivery is made in partnership with La Poste.

"We even sell abroad", rejoices Pierre Oréfice.

• Confinement

• Tourism

• Nantes

• Island machines