On Wednesday August 19, Malika Séguineau, director general of Prodiss, was received by Roselyne Bachelot at the Ministry of Culture. Accompanied by the president of Prodiss and producer Olivier Darbois (Catherine Ringer, Simply Red, PNL ...) and the treasurer of Prodiss and producer Aurélien Binder (Pleyel, Marigny, Mylène Farmer ...), she pleaded at length for the cause of producers and theater owners to the Minister. It remains to convince Matignon and the Élysée.
Read also: Theater and concerts: the meeting with Roselyne Bachelot went well, the ball is in the court of the Élysée
LE FIGARO. - Deprived for six months of concerts and live shows, do the French have a chance to come back soon to see an artist on stage?
Malika SÉGUINEAU. - Roselyne Bachelot wants to restart the live show as soon as possible and we are delighted. The date will depend on two crucial appointments expected by the end of next week. First, the announcement of the national economic recovery plan by Matignon and we hope for a section of measures devoted to the sector. Then the holding at the Elysee Palace of a Health Defense Council which will undoubtedly decide after consultation with the High Council of Public Health if the measure of an armchair separating each group of spectators can be lifted.
On June 22, despite the absence of promising films, the cinemas reopened two weeks earlier than expected due to a political decision. Are you also afraid of a hasty reopening?
You have to be careful not to decide to reopen in bad conditions. It could be worse than keeping the rooms closed. It could even be a bankruptcy accelerator for some. Politicians must trust professionals who know their stuff. We have already proven our know-how after the attacks. For now, one thing is certain: there will be no concerts with more than 5,000 people before October 30. Those which gather less than 5000 people have in theory the right to take place but on condition of having empty seats between each group of spectators. In practice, this amounts to limiting the gauge to 60-70%. So to keep the halls closed because in our business, the economic balance arrives in the majority of cases from 80-85% of tickets sold.
What should the spectator expect when returning to the concert?
He will not see concerts with more than 5,000 people until at least the beginning of November. He will not be able to choose between a seat and a place in the pit either. The standing gauges which remain prohibited until further notice are an issue in their own right. It will be necessary to tackle it because this ban conditions the holding of the festivals of the summer 2021. For the moment, the public can only go to concerts gathering together less than 5000 people and while being obligatorily seated, with a seat separating each group . We are optimistic that we will soon have the authorization to sell 100% of the seats. In exchange, the public will have to remain masked throughout the show. As in public transport and in life at work. The spectators will really have to play along.
There will necessarily be a delay between the government's decision and the preparation of the first back-to-school concerts expected on September 4. What's going to happen ?
As long as the 100% seating capacity is not formally authorized, we can expect a postponement of a majority of concerts from September until the beginning of October. These days, artists and producers alike are doing their math. Some go for it all and want to play at any cost. After six months of shutdown, few can afford to restart without losing money. All are waiting for the decision of the Health Defense Council. We hope that the live performance case will be settled by the end of August. We now need a rapid clarification of the sanitary conditions applied to our sector.
Has the Puy du Fou affair accelerated things?
The authorization given to Puy-du-Fou to play in front of 9000 people made the profession and the concert audience react. Many festivals with drastic health measures have requested an exemption this summer in vain. This case allowed us to ask Roselyne Bachelot to clarify the rules of the game in terms of exemption and to pay attention to equity in the territories. He brought the live performance case back to the forefront.
What financial demands have you made of the government?
The National Music Center has set up a fund dedicated to musical and variety show companies of ten million euros. In view of the 2.3 billion euros in turnover lost by performing arts since March 2020, this is clearly insufficient. According to our calculations, it takes 300 million euros in cash to save our companies, many of which are on the verge of bankruptcy due to negative cash flow. Then, when activity resumes, it will be necessary to inject cash again to allow companies not only to repay their debts but to invest. We are also asking for the extension of partial unemployment and the repayment period for loans granted by the State. We are very worried about our so-called middle companies, the historic independents, which have shaped the concert sector. They manage the careers of many famous artists and are in great difficulty. How can you survive without resources for such a long period? Ticket sales have been at zero for six months already. The equity of these companies will not be enough. State support is essential to maintain the diversity of companies that make up the richness of concerts in France.