The town hall of Lyon, won in 2020 by the ecologist Grégory Doucet, is preparing to reduce the annual subsidy granted to the Opéra de Lyon by 500,000 euros.
The decision was denounced by the director of the institution Serge Dorny, who sees in it the expression of an “
anti-opera ideology
”.
The information was revealed on March 4 on Twitter by journalist and producer Frédéric Martel.
To read also: The mayor EELV of Lyon gives up participating in the traditional "Voeu des Échevins"
The decision to reduce the city of Lyon's subsidy to its Opera from 7.5 to 7 million euros must be submitted to the next city council, scheduled for March 25 and 26.
"
We can only worry about the anti-opera ideology that seems to underlie this decision
", reacted in a press release Serge Dorny, the director of the Opera who is performing his last season at the head of the Lyon institution .
"
After the re-education of the meatless taste, the cultural re-education of Lyonnais
", reacted on Twitter Étienne Blanc, senator LR and leader of the Lyon municipal right, alluding to the recent controversy over the menus of school canteens in the city.
"
This decrease represents only less than 3% of the city's aid and will not prevent the Opera from keeping very good leeway to do very good things
", replied Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert, assistant to the mayor in charge of Culture who estimates all direct and indirect aid to the institution at 17 million euros.
According to the elected representative, the reduction in this subsidy aims to better distribute financial resources between the public and associative sectors.
The overall municipal aid, which includes the direct subsidy and the provision of personnel (artists, technicians, administrators), covers approximately half of the operating budget of the Opera.
“
Lyon's cultural budget is being maintained.
It is simply oriented differently in favor of smaller active and creative structures.
This was announced during the election campaign and that is also why we were elected,
”retorts the office of Mayor Grégory Doucet.
