"In the biggest crisis in its illustrious history, the Angouleme festival of la bande dessinee (comic strip) may not take place in 2026 after claims of toxic management and the dismissal of a member of staff who had lodged a rape complaint. The festival, held annually in the small western French city, hands out some of the global comic industry's most coveted prizes."
"Announcing she was withdrawing 200,000 (176,000) of public subsidies for the event until a shake-up in the way it was run, the culture minister, Rachida Dati, said on Tuesday she hoped the 2026 festival would nonetheless go ahead. She had invited those boycotting it to a meeting, she added. The culture ministry said on Wednesday it was hard to see it happening as scheduled in late January if the boycott was maintained."
"Realistically, if there are no authors or publishers, it's hard to see how the festival can happen in 2026, a spokesperson said. We are at a turning point in the history of the festival, which is in difficulty and in danger. Cancelling the festival would be a catastrophe' for the area in an already fragile economic situation', said the local MP, Caroline Colombier."
Angoulême, a prestigious international comic festival, risks cancellation in 2026 after leading graphic novelists and publishers announced a boycott and the French culture ministry withdrew €200,000 in subsidies pending governance changes. The boycott followed allegations of toxic management and the dismissal of a female staff member who had reported a rape after the 2024 festival. The festival is organised by the private company 9eArt+ on behalf of a non-profit association; its director stepped down amid the controversy. Organisers and officials say the event cannot realistically proceed without authors and publishers, and local representatives warn of major economic consequences if cancelled.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]