Until July 24, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence is celebrating its 75th anniversary with six new opera productions, including a world premiere of Picture a Day Like This, by George Benjamin. This great lyrical art event is distinguished by its very significant use of sponsorship. A unique case in festivals.
“Patronage receipts (9.95 million euros) exceeded public subsidies (9.15 million granted mainly by the State and the city of Aix-en-Provence)”, explains François Vienne, deputy general manager of the festival. In the 2023 budget, which amounts to 28.2 million euros, own revenue thus represents 60.3% (including sponsorship, ticketing, co-productions and recordings), public aid 32.4% and the remaining 7.3% comes – another atypical situation – from part of the tax levied on the town’s casino.
The festival and patronage have been linked since day one. “In 1948, the Countess Lily Pastré, a great philanthropist, made it possible, three years after the war, to call on contemporary artists such as André Derain, André Masson, the poster artist Cassandre for the sets, and to play Mozart again, which sounded like a provocation”recalls Mathias Coullaud, director of sponsorship and development.
Thematic circles
Since 1998, the three directors of the festival who have succeeded one another − Stéphane Lissner, Bernard Foccroulle then Pierre Audi − have all had the desire to strengthen private financing in order to engage in new creations each year. But before 2018, with the arrival of Pierre Audi, this strategy is accelerating. “The patrons’ club existed, with nearly two hundred faithful [qui font des donations à partir de 900 euros]but, other than offering them access to reservations earlier than others and a glass of champagne during intermission, not much was going on,” observes Matthias Coullaud. Additional difficulty: since the pandemic, local businesses have had “tendency to abandon culture in favor of social and environmental concerns”he notes.
In five years, sponsorship receipts have more than doubled, rising from 4.1 million euros to almost 10 million. To revitalize individual philanthropy, a whole range of thematic circles have emerged, enabling patrons to support the process of contemporary artistic creation (Cercle Incises), expression and dialogue between Mediterranean aesthetics and cultures (Cercle Etel-Adnan for the Mediterranean). The festival also tries to address young patrons under 40 years old.
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