"It's the place we dreamed of!": a new cultural space will be built in Toulon
For the past year, exchanges have been multiplying on a WhatsApp messaging group. There were around a hundred artists mobilizing in search of a cultural "factory," a site that could allow them to work ahead of their shows or exhibitions. A site that was sorely lacking in Toulon. Meetings in town ended up being added to virtual conversations to leverage networks and knock on the right doors. Until that of the office of Mayor Josée Massi, who finally found them a solution.
Since June 1st , the capital of the Var region has had a new creative space: the "voûtes." It is located in the former cellars of Les Lices, which once served as recording studios, right next to the Zénith concert hall.
A place unoccupied for years"This is a huge breath of fresh air for culture in Toulon," enthuses director Stéphanie Slimani. "The municipality is providing six 50m² cellars free of charge to professional artists, which will serve as storage space, costume design, a work platform, a social space and a production workshop. In fact, it's the creative space we dreamed of, and which never existed here!"
The Porte d'Italie, the former Bishopric, and the Court of Nice were explored for a time. In vain, due to a lack of realistic prospects or a viable project in the short or medium term. Visual artists and other actors therefore welcomed Josée Massi's proposal with genuine relief.
"The discussion with the artists was constructive," confirms the mayor. "We understood their difficulties, their needs, and we tried to respond to them as best we could. I believe in culture, and it seems essential to me that professionals can have a shared place to work. In this case, these Lices cellars had been unoccupied for many years."
The only constraint: "because" of the prospect of the municipal elections to be held in 2026, the City did not wish to commit beyond twelve months. On site, however, it is already working on some minor development work. The associations, which received the keys in June, should really be able to move in by September. But not under any kind of conditions either.
No public reception"We have established a set of rules," continues Stéphanie Slimani, who has become artistic director of "Voûte." This collective, responsible for managing the site, is administered by seven people representing seven companies (1) . "But all professional artists and companies in the performing arts and visual arts will be able to join by submitting an application at the end of June " (2) , adds Stéphanie Slimani.
This underlines that the idea of a shared place is also to be able to "pool certain resources, such as costumes, sets or accessories" . On the other hand, the reception of the public will not be authorized. It should also be noted that the artistic collective Volatil, also homeless since leaving Aguillon a few months ago (our previous editions), is part of the adventure, even benefiting from a vault all to itself.
"Everything is going well ," summarizes Stéphanie Slimani. "It's like receiving a nice grant! The mayor was quick and efficient. We will now be able to create and rehearse. For live performance and the visual arts, this is great news!" The inauguration is scheduled for September 13.
1. The Sound of Men; The Nose; If You Tame Me; The Divine Factory; Ratafia Theatre; The Sea Rats; Florence Morali.
Var-Matin
