“Who will be in charge of cultural establishments in 10 or 20 years?” Rima Abdul Malak asked the question during a press conference on Monday to better outline the beginning of an answer. Since her arrival, the Minister of Culture believes she has already “done the maximum” to renew the “talent pool”, particularly for national stages. But for other establishments which do not have the “national” label, mainly in live entertainment, “the road is still long” towards diversity. “Diversity does not only concern skin color, but also social or geographical origin. Where are the people from the countryside in management positions?,” says the minister.
To encourage the emergence of new profiles, the Ministry of Culture is betting on a program called “La Relève”, in partnership with Science Po and the Les Détermés association. It is aimed at professionals aged 25 to 40, who share a passion for culture, but whose training or profession is different. It includes continuing education of at least 18 months – longer if the profile requires it – with 300 hours of lessons: 150 face-to-face at Sciences Po Paris and 150 remotely. 101 training courses are offered, one per department, and one million euros have been released to support “those who come from far away”.
The Les Détermés association specializes in supporting entrepreneurship. She will ensure the selection and monitoring of candidates during the program. “We have a large network, we are present in 22 cities in France,” explains Moussa Camara, its founding president.
The program is not open for applications. “The objective is to look for new potential. Initially, we aim for 10 to 20 people per department. Then we select 2 or 3 for interviews. In the end we only take one; we want to be sure to choose someone who will complete the program,” explains Moussa Camara, president of Les Détermés, specializing in support for entrepreneurship. The association, with its network in 22 cities, will ensure the selection and monitoring of candidates during the program.
The recruitment of candidates is just beginning and certain profiles have already “caught the eye” of recruiters. “The goal is to have all the candidates in February and to start training in the fall,” hopes Rima Abdul Malak. In parallel with these recruitments, the ministry and Sciences Po are looking for mentors, who will ensure careful monitoring of the students. Monday afternoon, several were present: Francesca Polonatio (director of the national stage Le ZEF, in Marseille), Rémi Sabau (director of Nouveau Relax in Chaumont) and Sarah Koné (founder of the Maîtrise populaire de l’Opéra-Comique and deputy director of the Philharmonie de Paris).
Mentors will play a role in the professional integration of students. “The idea is not that they move into management at the end of the training,” specifies the minister. But let them go through intermediate positions first.”
