In Capdenac-Gare, Aveyron, Fred Sancère leads the hybrid association Derrière le hublot, founded in 1996, which spreads art without a fixed venue. This initiative partners with local municipalities and has staged over a thousand performances in diverse spots like village halls and farms. Labeled in 2020 by the Ministry of Culture, it focuses on projects tailored to the rural landscape.
Fred Sancère, director of the association Derrière le hublot, is a frequent traveler who journeys often to enhance his artistic projects. He attends performances in Toulouse, for instance, or collaborates with theaters in Lozère and Savoie, while remaining based in Capdenac-Gare, an Aveyron municipality with fewer than 4,500 residents.
Established in 1996 by Sancère and about twenty friends, the association functions as a nomadic theater without a dedicated venue. This uniqueness earned it the 2020 label of « scène conventionnée d'intérêt national art en territoire » from the Ministry of Culture. Since its inception, it has hosted around a thousand performances across a rural area spanning northwest Aveyron and the Lot department, utilizing spaces such as factories, parks, and farms.
« Not having a dedicated space is a great luxury, a real opportunity », states Fred Sancère. « This singularity frees us from artistic cliques to offer street theater, comic book publishing, and contemporary photography. It compels us to go everywhere to develop projects based on the territory's character. » This method promotes close ties with local residents, thereby sustaining cultural life in rural settings.
The initiative forms part of a series on « faiseurs de culture », highlighting the impact of such organizations in peripheral areas.
