Éclat

The association and the creation of the festival

The history of the Aurillac Festival is particularly unique in the French cultural landscape.

Established in 1986 and intentionally located in a rural area, it has continually asserted itself as one of the main events in live performance in France, a reference festival for public authorities, and also a reference on a European and international scale for street theater.

While opening the programming to very different forms, Michel Crespin (founder and director from 1986 to 1993), Jean-Marie Songy (artistic director from 1994 to 2018), then Frédéric Remy (director since 2019) and their teams have built strong and lasting relationships with street artists.

The official program, recognized for both its quality and its openness to all forms of expression, brings together approximately 20 companies. In parallel, to make up the great meeting of street arts, more than 600 “companies de passage” participate, making the Aurillac Festival an exceptional event for artistic creation, research, and staging.

Professional meetings, conferences, and public encounters complement these moments dedicated to creation.

The public success of the event has confirmed this achievement. During the 4 days of the festival, more than 100,000 people cross paths. A very diverse audience is encountered, spanning different generations and all social classes.

In 1999, ÉCLAT initiated “Les Préalables.” As a local audience, fond of and knowledgeable about street theater, gradually formed over the editions of the Festival, the desire to offer shows in cities and villages in the Aurillac area, the department, and the region became apparent. Prior to the Festival, Cantal thus lives to the rhythm of street theater, anchoring the event even more firmly in the territory.

Since 2020, “Champ Libre !” format has taken over from “Les Préalables.” This departmental tour is organized in collaboration with more than 20 municipalities that have made the committed and enthusiastic choice to defend culture in their territory and to welcome artists and the public with conviction.

In 2004, ÉCLAT—National Center for Street Arts and Public Space, organizer of the International Street Theatre Festival of Aurillac, established Le Parapluie, the first creative space entirely designed for the creation of “street arts” projects.