David Brichard
Published on Friday 21 August 2020
Every evening between 14 and 23 August, in the garden of Tournai Town Hall, a show will take you to the heart of the history of a city with a rich past. To be more precise, it’s a sound and light show devised by renowned director Luc Petit. The aim is to showcase the folklore of Tournai.
In just over half an hour, you’ll meet fire tamers, bell ringers, strange creatures and more. The giants of Ath even join in the fun. “Normally, this is the period of the great Ducasse of Ath. It does us good to bring out the giants. It’s a way of saving the year,” says Manu, one of the giant drivers.
ChatGPT
Behind this show, designed with all the sanitary restrictions, there is a whole cultural sector on the brink of collapse. Most of the artists or technicians present here have not performed for months. This is the case for those who manage sound and lighting. Their professional activity is doing poorly, very poorly. “Things are not going well at all because fixed costs continue to come in every month. There’s leasing for equipment, building rent, trucks. In short, everything needed to run a company. But the coffers are empty. We’re in agony,” explains Frédéric Van Durmen, director of Yes Event.
For this show, some are paid, others are volunteers, but all share a common sentiment: culture is neglected despite calls for help. “It’s really unfortunate that today we’re not being heard despite all the cries for help, on Facebook, in the media. What can you do… We’re tired!” confesses Adélaïde Wlomainck, one of the artists in the show.
There were 200 spectators here last night. Starting Monday, shows in the country can be seen by 400 people outdoors at the same time. The sector, however, finds this change to be rather minimal and dreads the worst for the future of culture.
