Julie Delille, first woman appointed head of the People's Theatre in Bussang

The actress and director Julie Delille has been appointed director of the Théâtre du Peuple in Bussang (Vosges), and will become in October the first woman to lead this institution classified as a historical monument, we learned Monday. "This place has a unique temporality, the notion of seasonality finds its full meaning," said the artist in a message posted on the Facebook page of the theater, renowned for its backdrop that opens directly onto the Vosges forest.

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"I want this theater to be a place of thought and a preserved poetic space, a shelter where it is possible to take the time, to summon the relationship to the works of the mind as a possible response to the crises we are going through," she added. In her new role, she plans to rely on two artists with whom she is used to working, Alix Fournier-Pittaluga and Paul Francesconi.

Julie Delille was unanimously appointed by the ten members of the selection jury, composed of the Association du Théâtre du Peuple de Bussang Maurice Pottecher, and its public partners, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs Grand Est (DRAC), the Grand Est region, the Vosges department, the community of communes of Ballons des Hautes Vosges and the city of Bussang. A total of 49 artists applied and 10 were shortlisted. "For us, it is essential that this theater is re-anchored on the territory, towards the most diverse audiences, especially people who do not go to the theater, and Julie Delille has built a working method, based on the question of relationship, which is very important to us," said François Rancillac, told AFP. President of the People's Theatre Association.

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Trained at the Comédie de Saint-Étienne school, Julie Delille founded in 2015 the company of the Théâtre des Trois Parques, with which she notably staged Je suis la bête, adaptation of Anne Sibran's book, which will be presented in spring 2024 at the Nanterre-Amandiers theater. She succeeds Simon Delétang, who left his position during his mandate to join the National Drama Centre of Lorient, and Alice Trousset, Deputy Director. The People's Theatre was founded in 1895 by Maurice Pottecher, who wanted to "create a theatre that was accessible to all, to the whole people without exclusion of caste or fortune, and that could interest all".