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France / Frankrijk

1. Cultural policy

Cultural policy profile

Cultural policy profile of France in 7 thematic chapters, including additional information and resources:

Government

Ministry of Culture

2. Official representations

Representation of France in Belgium

Representation of Flanders in France

3. About funding, cooperation and information centers

  • Institut français: a public institution responsible for France’s external cultural relations. Its work is at the crossroads of artistic sectors, intellectual discussions, cultural and social innovation and linguistic cooperation. By promoting the French language, it supports the circulation of works, artists and ideas, thus encouraging a better understanding of cultural issues.The Institut français is a EUNIC member.
  • Fondation des Alliances Françaises: it’s main mission is to regulate, animate and coordinate the global network of Alliances Françaises created in 1883. The Alliances’ missions are to: Develop the teaching and use of the French language; Promote knowledge of French and Francophone cultures; Promote diversity and dialogue between cultures. The foundation is a EUNIC member.
  • Information overview via On the Move country page: On the Move is the cultural mobility information network, providing information and knowledge for artists and cultural professionals active across borders. On this page, you can find all current calls related to the country as well as the latest version of the Cultural Mobility Funding Guide – and more.
  • MobiCulture: A resource centre specialised in helping artists and culture professionals with the administrative aspects of coming to France, MobiCulture’s mission is to support your mobility to France. It is a member of On the Move, and as such a Mobility Information Point.

4. Other information portals and platforms

– All disciplines

  • SYNDEAC: The National Federation of Artistic and Cultural Companies (Syndeac) represents more than 400 members performing arts companies. The Syndeac opened in 2012 its statutes to companies that work in the field of graphic and visual arts. Under the impetus of its president and the national council, which are elected every two years, the union is involved in three fields: syndical life, artistic and cultural development through public policy and the professional chamber.
  • Residencies: Overview of French residencies in all disciplines on TransArtists

– Visual arts

  • CNAP – Centre National des Arts Plastiques: a public institution under the French Ministry of Culture. It fosters and supports artistic creation in France in all areas of the visual arts. It follows young artists closely, provides expertise and financial support to the emergence of new forms, and assists artists and contemporary art professionals.
  • CNFAP: The CNFAP (French National Council of Plastic Arts) is the French National Committee which officially represents France within the AIAP / IAA (International Association of Plastic Arts), NGO near UNESCO and issues an Artist Professional Card.
  • Maison des artistes: French institution recognised by the French state to handle the administrative rights of visual artists in France (in relation with social protection and social security statutes).
  • Copyrights and authors rights in the visual arts
    • ADAGP: Founded in 1953, ADAGP is the French society for the collection and distribution of copyright in the field of graphic and plastic arts.
    • LaScam: LaScam comprises directors, authors of interviews and commentaries, writers, translators, journalists, video makers, photographers and illustrators. These creators form the documentary wealth of the audiovisual, radio and new media sectors. LaScam represents them in dealings with the lawmaker, producers and broadcasters. It negotiates their economic rights, collects and distributes their royalties, asserts their moral rights and defends their future interests.  
    • SAIF: Société des auteurs des arts visuels et de l’image fixe, the SAIF is a French copyright collecting society which represents and protects authors working in fields of visual arts as architecture, design, drawing, three dimensional creations, illustration, painting, photography and sculptures.  
  • Residencies in the visual arts
    • CNAP – 223 visual arts residencies in France is a guide made by the CNAP on visual arts in France
    • Arts en residence – Reseau National is the French network for visual arts residencies, with around 45 members. It federates structures which strive for the development of contemporary creation, while guaranteeing ethical working conditions for the artists and art professionals.
  • FRAAP: Federation des réseaux et associations d’artistes plasticiens, the FRAAP works on the professional structuring of all visual arts professionals, but also on the visibility, recognition and enhancement of the essential role of artists’ associations in the plastic arts sector. Its directory gives a great overview of visual arts organisations in France.
  • PLATFORM: Réseau des Fonds régionaux d’art contemporain, established in December 2005, brings together the twenty-three FRAC regional collections of contemporary art around a shared objective of development and cooperation.
  • DCA: National network that unites 49 contemporary art centres throughout France. Located in urban, suburban, and rural areas, DCA’s member art centres operate in 12 of the 13 metropolitan regions. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, DCA is a leading network, one of the driving forces in French cultural policies, ensuring a nationwide network of art centres to facilitate access to culture and creation.
  • C-E-A: Founded in 2007, C-E-A | Association française des commissaires d’exposition is to bring together people who are curators of contemporary art in France and to provide a platform for reflection, promotion and organisation of actions and projects around the world. this activity.
  • ATA: Atlas des Autres Territoires de l’Art, ATA is a project of the FRAAP listing over thousand of visual arts organisations in France.
  • HACNUM: Network in the hybrid arts and digital culture, HACNUM is a new organisation federating many key actors of the digital arts in France. Check the list of its members for a great overview of organisations in the field.

– Performing arts

  • Artcena: Created by the French Ministry of Culture, ARTCENA is a national rallying point that aims to strengthen the foundation and growth of circus, street and theatre arts. It hosts the Circostrada network (circus and street arts), and it provides an overview of performing arts organisations in France in its “annuaire”.
  • ONDA: The French office for contemporary performing arts circulation (Onda) promotes the dissemination of contemporary performing arts through information, expertise, networking, financial support, surveys.
  • The Centre national de la danse (CND, or National Dance Center): an institution sponsored by the French Ministry of Culture. It studies dance in all its aspects, provides training and certificate sources for both amateurs and professionals, such as the State diploma of teacher training or dance artists choreographers. It also has an extensive library, open to the public, with different materials including books and videos. On its website, CND provides many resources for professionals, including a directory of dance companies in France.
  • La Collaborative: made up of l’Agence Culturelle Grand Est, l’OARA Nouvelle-Aquitaine, l’ODIA Normandie, Occitanie en scène and Spectacle Vivant en Bretagne. These 5 regional agencies for the development of the arts and culture principally concentrate their work on live performance, sharing the same vision of working in public service for culture. 
  • France Festivals: A network for music and performing arts festivals, bringing together some 80 members.
  • ITI France: French branch of the ITI – International Theater Institute. It is currently working on an overview of its French members.
  • Assitej France: French branch of Assitej, the network for theatre for young audiences.

– Music

  • Centre National de la Musique CNM: provides the French music sector with the tools and support mechanisms needed to develop nationally and globally. The CNM is an organization designed to accompany and support the various stakeholders in the music sector, from artists and songwriters to labels, music publishers, concert promoters, venues, managers, sound engineers and retailers. It works on all music genres, and has a public mission to support export of French music. It is a member of EMEE.
  • SACEM: Run by its members since 1851, SACEM defends, protects and supports all authors, composers and publishers of music every day. SACEM is structured on the model of a cooperative: a collective management organisation (CMO). Royalties from copyright/authors’ rights are authors and composers’ only source of revenue. To guarantee authors’ intellectual property rights over their works, SACEM collects and distributes royalties.
  • PRODISS: the employers’ organisation representing the main music and variety show companies in France whose mission is to represent, promote and defend the interests of its members. Its members’ overview shows around 300 organisations in the music and variety sector in France.
  • Association France Orchestres – AFO: As a representative body, the AFO is a forum for dialogue between its members and a wide range of partners and interlocutors, both nationally and internationally: orchestra employees (artistic, administrative and technical staff), other networks and unions (cultural networks, cultural administrations, employers’ and employees’ unions, European organisations), public authorities (ministries and local authorities), media. Check its members’ list, as well as many other resources on its website.
  • Les Forces Musicales: Employers’ organisation in the opera and orchestra sector, it is the second organisation of performing arts employers in France in terms of payroll, and the first in terms of permanent artistic jobs. Check its members’ overview for a list of orchestras and operas in France.
  • SNAM CGT: French trade union in the music sector, SNAM CGT is a member of the International Federation of Musicians. It represents the interest of people working in the music industry and music sector (all genres).

5. Regional organisations

  • Organisation internationale of la Francophonie (OIF): The Francophonie is also an institution, dedicated since 1970 to promoting the French language and political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among the 88 member countries of the OIF, among which support for Cultural Diversity. France is a member country of the OIF.
  • EuroRegio Pyrenees Mediterranean: a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). The objective of the Euroregion is to become a resilient territory by 2030, acting for a Europe of the territories. The Euroregion seeks to: create in the north-east of the Mediterranean a pole of sustainable development based on the social, environmental, cultural and economic integration of the territory; and contribute to the construction of a Europe of the regions: united, socially-committed and close to citizens.

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