Pôle International de la Marionnette

Signing of a Franco-Belgian Cooperation Agreement to Support the Puppetry Arts

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On Thursday, November 5, the Pôle International de la Marionnette welcomed His Excellency the Belgian Ambassador to France.

After a tour of the École Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette – Margareta Niculescu, the guests—comprising French and Belgian public partners—gathered in the ESNAM lobby for a few remarks and the signing of a framework agreement on cross-border cooperation.

This agreement aims to:

  • Strengthen ties between programs dedicated to the puppetry arts (ESNAM and ARTS2 in Mons): mobility of academic leaders, faculty, and students; participation in each party’s governing bodies and committees.
  • Support artistic creation and the circulation of works (Pôle International de la Marionnette and Centre de la Marionnette de Tournai): organizing reciprocal residencies in each country, and facilitating the movement of artistic teams as part of each institution’s programming.

This agreement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cultural cooperation between France and Belgium, with the aim of promoting the arts of puppetry and ensuring their transmission. It marks a new step in building lasting ties between partner organizations, with the goal of keeping this art form alive for the benefit of artists, students, and audiences in both countries.

In the presence of:

  • Jean-Denis Leven, Belgian Consul in Charleville-Mézières
  • Virginie Rodriguez De Oliveira, Région Grand Est
  • Jérémy Dupuy, Vice President of Ardenne Métropole in charge of higher education, accompanied by Claire Neu, Operations Manager
  • Nathalie Robcis, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Chair of the Culture Committee of the Ardennes Departmental Council
  • Stéphanie Pécourt, Director of the Wallonia-Brussels Center in Paris
  • Françoise Flabat, Centre de la Marionnette de Tournai
  • Jean-François Politzer, Director of the Theater Department at ARTS2
  • Frédéric Maurin, President of the Pôle
  • Géraud Spire, Vice-president of the Pôle
  • Claire Pellerier, Secretary of the Pôle
  • Lothaire Claudel, Treasurer of the Division
  • Pierre-Yves Charlois, Director of the Pôle
  • and the Pôle International de la Marionnette – Jacques Félix team