La Plage des Six Pompes Street Arts Festival Returns to La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Plage des Six Pompes Returns to La Chaux-de-Fonds

According to the organizers, the festival’s programming stands out for the variety of themes it addresses, which reflects the richness of street arts and current artistic inquiries. Performances explore themes including human poetry, hope, grief, rage, fatphobia, and diverse forms of love directly on the asphalt. The lineup includes three creations specifically intended for young or very young audiences, featuring an olfactory show designed for toddlers starting at six months of age. Manu Moser noted that the increased presence of monologues and street solos reflects a broader trend in France and Belgium driven by funding shortages for culture.

The programmer’s top recommendation for the event is Amours by the French troupe Muchmuche Compagny. The live-music circus duo examines various expressions of love through the multidisciplinary approach of contemporary circus arts, which Moser described as une claque.

Logistical Shifts and Financial Realities

Returning to the traditional site required extensive coordination. Manu Moser explained that they had to battle the City for four months in order to return, and that they needed to find a way to coexist with the terrace business owners. Organizers opted to establish a large stage on the western side accompanied by a bar, while dropping the Beausite location due to financial constraints preventing the operation of two large stages. Additionally, the Beausite site was deemed less than ideal given the ongoing renovation work on the TPR building.

The festival operates with a budget exceeding one million francs. Funding is divided among three primary streams: 40 percent covered by stand and bar sales, 40 percent from institutional support, and 20 percent from sponsorships. Director Pauline Bessire noted that financial equilibrium is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain despite the festival’s broad reach. Contributing factors include declining revenues, rising costs for security, energy, and transport, and the loss of performance venues due to urban densification.

Shows remain accessible to the public for free, with artists compensated through the traditional hat collection method. Since the storm in 2023 that forced the cancellation of that year’s edition, organizers have continued to guarantee artists a minimum payment per representation. Attendees can contribute financially using an e-chapeau via mobile application or internet, and bar purchases can be settled using the local currency known as l’Abeille.

Emerging Talent and Special Programs

Alongside the main IN programming, the festival hosts La Nouvelle Vague, an initiative designed to showcase emerging talent. Five emerging companies—comprising three from Switzerland, one from France, and one from Franco-Belgium—were selected from a pool of 185 applications to test their developing creations.

Last year, the festival drew between 10,000 and 12,000 daily attendees. As the event unfolds, it continues to highlight the resilience of the performing arts community in the region.