An unprecedented fiscal shock

The 2025 school year was marked by the announcement of the 2025 budget, which shook more than one!  A rather austere budget in the face of an ever-growing deficit, it seems that culture has not escaped it. Once it has been put on a diet, it would be interesting to observe the economic consequences at the local level, focusing on the Angers-Nantes opera house. 

Even if the general budget of the Ministry of Culture remains at a high level, at 4.45 billion euros, and has increased by 30% since 2017, this is hardly enough to meet the many needs of the sector as well as the  important  increase of structural costs. 

And for the performing arts? 

Impacted by the 150 million euros in savings at the Ministry of Culture, the performing arts is facing a 7.8% drop in « Transmission of knowledge and democratisation of culture appropriations”. In addition, there are drastic cuts on the part of local authorities. According to Emmanuel Négrier, a researcher at the CNRS, speaking on Radio Classique, « This decline has very significant effects in terms of economic model but also in terms of employment. And we know to what extent employment in the performing arts is already in a precarious situation. The performing arts remains a structurally loss-making sector. That’s why he needs public money. »

Nearly 7500 jobs are at risk today for the live performance sector alone. We suspect that on a smaller scale, this has significant repercussions, particularly in terms of institutional programming. 

At the local level?

More than 82 million euros in subsidies have been eliminated at the regional level, putting more than 2400 direct cultural jobs in difficulty. 36% of structures fear layoffs, a freeze on recruitment and the end of intermittent contracts for artists and technicians. This weakening affects the entire sector: associations, companies, theatres, festivals and so on. We can only wonder about the change that local authorities will adopt in their relationship with culture. This situation illustrates a major change in the relationship between local authorities and culture. 

What are the concrete consequences for the 2025-2026 programme?

Rising fares coupled with a reduction in performances 

Due to this severe financial shock, the number of curtain levers decreases from 72 to 60, which corresponds to a decrease of 12 performances. At the same time, prices have increased by around 10%: a ticket at the normal rate will go from €75 to €80, while a reduced rate will go from €45 to €52. However, the Opera has insisted on remaining accessible with lower rates than elsewhere.

Some artistic adjustments

Unfortunately, the « Baroque en scène » season, initially planned and dedicated to baroque lyrical works, has been cancelled. In addition, the dance season and some of the choir’s projects have also had to be sacrificed. Behind these brutal decisions is the need to focus on sustainable and economically viable projects. However, the desire to maintain an ambitious and diversified program is reaffirmed: From Cinderella to Othman Louati’s contemporary creation, Solaris, via Offenbach’s Rubinson Crusoe, this season promises to be rich and challenging! Thus, financial precariousness does not necessarily mean a decline in artistic quality. The establishment is a perfect example of this! 

What way out to maintain survival?

This budget cut sounds the alarm on a system that is not financially autonomous. Is such a dependence on public subsidies viable in the long term? Innovating the functioning of such a system is mandatory: New forms of co-production, pooling of resources, diversification of financing methods, partial digitization of shows? The key is certainly to be found in partnerships and sponsorship of operations, projects, etc. Thus, NAO retains its major partnerships with the Rennes Opera for co-production and with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire. A difficult balance to achieve, between financial restrictions and artistic demands. The Nantes-Angers Opera therefore maintains original creations and participatory formats despite the many constraints. 

But what does the future hold in the face of this social pressure, the precariousness of professionals and a scarcity of supply? 

Conclusion: what is the future of cultural policy ?

The crisis at the Nantes-Angers Opera highlights that the future of the performing arts rests on the creativity of the speakers, solid support from public administrations and also a national debate on the importance of culture in our society. A weakened but committed field questions our common ability to support creation, public access to the arts and the dynamism of cultural democracy. Whether in Nantes or Angers, « it is not simply a question of institutional viability, but rather the sustainable future of the performing arts in the regionThis context represents a major challenge for the political economy of the performing arts in the regions: how to balance a limited public budget with the imperative of preserving a diversified cultural proposal, open to all and innovative? The announced budget cuts have resurfaced debates similar to those that emerged during the closure of cultural venues in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. Restricting creation calls into question its necessity for society. And on a larger scale, its usefulness to humans. Is a world without art possible, or even conceivable ? 

Written by Iris Convert

Bibliography:

https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-point-culture/coupes-budgetaires-des-consequences-catastrophiques-pour-la-culture-6507590
https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-journal-de-l-eco/le-spectacle-vivant-au-defi-des-coupes-budgetaires-5983962
https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/le-point-culture/les-midis-de-culture-le-point-culture-emission-du-mercredi-20-novembre-2024-6156220
https://www.lascene.com/infoscenes/pays-loire-consequences-economiques-disparition-quasi-totale-subventions
https://www.angers.villactu.fr/angers-nantes-opera-devoile-une-programmation-2025-2026-audacieuse-malgre-les-contraintes/
https://www.angers.villactu.fr/angers-nantes-opera-devoile-une-programmation-2025-2026-audacieuse-malgre-les-contraintes/