the festival & the AF&C association

THE FESTIVAL OFF D’AVIGNON

Initiated by André Benedetto since 1966, the Festival OFF d’Avignon and all its actors (artists, companies and venues) change Avignon in a true center for culture, debate and creation.

Spontaneous space for artistic creation named the « OFF », the festival has gradually extended throughout the town of Avignon now established in a hundred or so venues.
Passionate about all kinds of performing arts, the OFF audience is multi-faceted and plentiful, as well as constantly changing.

Originally perceived as alternative, the Festival OFF d'Avignon now has a firm foothold in the national cultural landscape. Today it is one of the largest festivals for independent companies in the world in terms of the wealth and diversity of its cultural offerings. 

The Festival OFF d’Avignon brought together 1 538 performances in 133 venues in 2018, from 6th to 29th July.

LE FESTIVAL D’AVIGNON

Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, the Avignon Festival is today one of the most important contemporary performing arts events in the world.

There are more than fourty differents show performed during the Festival, but and also readings, exhibitions, films and debates, all of which are gateways into the invited artists' own world. Every evening during the Festival, there is at least one show première, making Avignon a place of true creation and adventure for the artists as well as for the audience.

Commonly named the « IN », it is founded by the French Culture Ministry, regional and local authorities and Avignon City hall. 
Integral part of our national cultural heritage, the festival is currently leaded by Olivier Py. 
Further informations : http://www.festival-avignon.com/en/

THE AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES ASSOCIATION

Since 2006, in order for companies, the public and venues to be respected, artists and the theatres who accommodate them have decided to take the initiative for the organisation and the philosophy of the Festival OFF d’Avignon.

Together, they have created a community space, the AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES (AF&C) association.

A joint and collegial association, comprising companies and theatres, its board of directors comprises 24 members: 18 elected members, from the Association of Companies and the Association of Theatres; 6 co-opted members, from the Association of Personalities. Led by an office of 7 members, the AF&C is currently chaired by Pierre Beffeyte.
The objective of the AF&C is to gather, promote and support artistic creation and to enhance its regional standing, in connection with Avignon and its Festival OFF.

AF&C also attempts to answer the big issues that concern all professionals in this field today: art’s place in our society, the artist’s place in our cultural system, their relationship with audiences.

In 2009, the association created a charter, submitted every year to the theaters and structures participating to the festival (click in quick access link to download)

AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES'S TEAM

The team consists of seven permanent employees : click here to access to further informations and contacts.

AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES'S MISSIONS

- to relay cultural institutions and organizations informations 
- to provide the Festival OFF d’Avignon communication and coordination, by a concerted action with all the festival participants (companies, performances production structures, venues, audiences, partners, institutions, etc.)
- Encourage the artistic dimension and the performing arts sector professionalization

Those public services missions aim to reveal, value the artistic richness of the Festival OFF d’Avignon and to develop new audiences. 

The direct relation between companies and audiences makes the originality and virties of the Festival OFF. AF&C cultivates and strengthen this relation by creating spaces of conviviality between all : audiences, companies, venues, cultural organisations. 
Thus, during the festival, AF&C has different venues to welcome audiences and professionals, to distribute programs, to sell season tickets and souvenirs, to propose meetings, debates and workshops.

All year long, AF&C organizes with it partners (ARCADE, IMCA, AFDAS) some trainings for the festival OFF d’Avignon participants on the following topics : ticketing administration, press and media relationships, building a production budget, developp dissemination tools, apply fundamental legal principes, developp artistic project in an international area, video edition for performances, etc.
 

AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES'S TOOLS

- Printed program (115 000 copies – on recycled paper with vegetal inks)
The program is a widely used tool for the festival audiences, before, during and after the festival. Classified by venues, it includes thematic index (authors, audiences, performances, etc.)

- Website « avignonleoff.com/en/ »: resource website where professionals and audiences may find all useful informations to come to the festival ; a section dedicated to « classified ads » will also make easier the hiring process of companies and venues of the festival (technicians, box office manager, etc.), allow an access to accomodation ads and others (equipment lending, transportation, car-pooling, etc.) ; an interactive map helping to come, to move and to house, etc.

- iPhone & Android application « Avignon OFF »

- Online ticketing ticket’OFF: online ticketing service for the performances of the festival OFF d’Avignon 

- OFF carnet

- National and local communication campaign 

- Tv, radio and printed press partnerships 

- AF&C « Bulletin » and information letter : every month, AF&C send an information letter about legal, social and tax news to  his adherents

AVIGNON FESTIVAL & COMPAGNIES'S EVENTS

Opening parade, conferences, debates, meetings, workshops, concerts and closing ball.

To facilitate the communication between all the festival participants, AF&C organizes events during the festival.

The opening and closing are marked by a parade and a ball, for all the participants.

Round tables, meetings, conferences, debates and concerts takes place every day in OFF Village during the festival (further infomations about the OFF Village).

ADHERENTS

The association countS 243 adherents : 61 structures in college A (theatres) and 182 structures in College B (performances production structures).

Every year during the ordinary general assembly, the adherents vote for the representants of each College that will compose the Board.

AF&C SUPPORT FUND FOR PROFESSIONALISATION

Each year, over 1,000 production structures present over 1,500 shows per day throughout the month of July. Out of the 1,538 shows presented in 2018, 1,142 are original creations (shows performed for the first time at the Festival OFF d’Avignon).
Performed by artists and teams who are sometimes in instable situations, these creations, although some are supported by regional authorities and collective management organisations, have trouble sourcing the funding in full in order to take part in the Festival OFF d’Avignon. 
Based on an interprofessional system of solidarity to support artists, this fund is a continuation of the group project and forms an additional step in the professionalization approach to the festival, backing companies and more broadly supporting the performing arts sector.
In 2017, 80 projects supported, representing 201 artists for a total of 201 000 €
In 2018, 72 projects supported, representing 219 artists for a total of 205 350 €.