Paris. The financial reports of cultural establishments all look the same at the moment: declining commercial revenues, stagnant public subsidies and expenses which are mechanically increasing due to inflation and salary increases. Result, accounts barely balanced, at the cost of a reduction in programming expenses. This is what is happening to the Maison de la culture d’Amiens (MCA), a public establishment, as shown in a recent report from the regional chamber of accounts.
The MCA has a strong symbolic value. The third cultural center to be inaugurated by André Malraux in 1966 (the first, in 1961, was in Le Havre), it has since the beginning had its own building designed for this purpose. Like many cultural centers, its programming mainly concerns live performance – it is labeled “National Scene” – (but also cinema), which does not prevent it from hosting some temporary contemporary art exhibitions.
It has not yet completely recovered from the crisis linked to Covid-19, cinema and performance audiences have not completely returned, leading to a drop in corresponding revenues. These go from 979,000 euros in 2018 to 609,000 euros in 2022, a fall of 38% partly offset by the less poor performance of bar and privatization revenues. The share of commercial revenue in expenditure continues to decline, which worries magistrates who project the curves for future years. The chamber had already noted that the MCA was having difficulty completing its 2024 budget. This was invalidated by Jean-Michel Puiffe, who is acting director of the public establishment during the sick leave of its director, Laurent Dreano (a former advisor to the various Ministers of Culture of François Hollande). It indicates to Arts Journal that the 2024 budget will end in balance, thanks in particular to the adoption of a VAT regime more favorable to the establishment. But this does not resolve future projections. If statutory subsidies from the various public partners have remained stable in previous years, or even increased thanks to exceptional contributions, it is not certain that they will increase in the coming years in proportion to inflation. Especially since a building “subject” is emerging. Opened in 1965, before its inauguration, it benefited from a vast renovation more than thirty years ago, in 1992. According to Jean-Michel Puiffe, the building itself does not require major work, but the stage equipment could use a facelift.
The situation is tense without being critical. The overall operating budget, amounting to more than 6 million euros, is reasonable for a very important facility for the people of Amiens, and there is room for maneuver: offering more general public programming and with more performances to reduce costs, resort to borrowing for the work, solicit patrons, etc.
