The Centre Chorégraphique National in Biarritz is recruiting new management
The Centre Chorégraphique National Ballet Biarritz, association Ballet Biarritz, is recruiting new management in accordance with the guidelines of the French Ministry of Culture, the City of Biarritz, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Council. Management will be entrusted to one or more choreographers of national and international renown. The CCN-Ballet is part of a network of 19 French state-approved establishments in France that are the foundation for the creation, production and presentation of choreographic works in France. Its regulatory framework is defined by Decree No. 2017 -432- dated 28 March 2017, the order dated 5 May 2017 and the memorandum dated 15 January 2018.
Since 1998, the CCN-Ballet has been based in Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, in the west of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. The city of Biarritz has a population of 25,885 and is located in the coastal area of the Basque Country Conurbation (population: 316,000). This cross-border region with Spain is a part of the Basque Country.
The CCN-Ballet is subsidized by the French government (French Ministry of Culture – DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine), the City of Biarritz, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Council. Its projected budget for 2024 is €5.8 M, including €2.8 M in operating grants. The team has 58 full-time equivalent positions.
It is located in the centre of Biarritz in the Gare du Midi theatre. The building has 2 studios (one with a 110-seat stand), offices, meeting rooms, dressing rooms and a costume workshop. It also has premises for building sets and storing stage and technical equipment near the train station.
The CCN-Ballet has access to the auditorium of the Gare du Midi theatre (managed by the tourist office), which can seat up to 1,354 and has a 600 m2 stage for finalising performances and presenting its repertoire year-round. It also has access to the municipal theatres: Casino (728 seats) and Colisée (189 seats).
The CCN-Ballet is one of Europe’s leading dance companies, with an average of 100 performances a year, a third of which are international. Its artistic team is renowned for its academic virtuosity combined with great eloquence.
The CCN-Ballet is fully in step with the times and its region by giving priority to cultural outreach activities. It holds a special place in the profession by being a driving force in issues such as creative support, renewal of ballet choreographers, dancers’ health, cross-border and European cooperation, and ecological transition.
It is one of only a handful of national choreographic centres to organise a European festival, with a programme including around thirty companies in ten or so towns in the French and Spanish Basque Country, and attracting an audience of 30,000 festival-goers.
The next management team is invited to design and implement an artistic and cultural project carried out in a spirit of cooperation, solidarity and dialogue with the existing structures in its cross-border area, as well as with the various choreographic networks and the existing cultural sector in the region and beyond.
MISSIONS
The CCN-Ballet’s main mission is to create, produce and present choreographic works. In compliance with cultural rights, and as part of its artistic and cultural project, management will be responsible for the following:
– Developing your own creative work, creating a repertoire for the 22 permanent, academically-trained dancers. This repertoire may be supplemented by works by guest choreographers.
– Working on the local, regional, national and international presentation of performances and contributing to maintaining a level of resources in line with the CCN-Ballet’s economic model;
– Sharing CCN-Ballet’s resources with choreographic companies, by welcoming and supporting the production and creation of local and regional, as well as national and international artists, in particular through the Accueil-studio and Résidence Artiste associé(e) (resident artist) programmes;
– Hosting initiatives on the challenges facing the choreographic sector, in particular for Ballets;
– Maintaining and developing regional and cross-border dynamics in conjunction with all the cultural participants, with special emphasis on European cooperation;
– Continuing the work of presenting, research, training, cultural action and artistic education, especially for young people;
– Ensuring the artistic management of the programme for Le Temps d’Aimer la Danse Festival;
– Asserting your role as a benchmark for diversity and variety of choreographic aesthetics, and as a place for dance research and promotion;
– Ensuring diversity and equality, and combating sexual and gender-based violence and harassment;
– Including your project and actions in the context of ecological transition.
Management will be responsible for proper administration, financial and general management, while supervising, uniting and leading the team in a dynamic process of change, and working with the President of the association to maintain relations with institutional partners and representing the CCN-Ballet in various networks.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
Applicants should be fluent in French if possible and undertake to reside mainly in Biarritz or the surrounding area. Please send your application in French no later than 28 February 2025. Applications received after this date will not be considered.
The application must include:
– A cover letter with a general outline of your proposed artistic project (2 to 3 pages).
– A detailed curriculum vitae, with documented information on previous achievements (description of productions, press articles, video recordings, touring schedule).
After reviewing the applications, a pre-selection committee made up of the association Ballet Biarritz, the French Ministry of Culture, the city of Biarritz, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Council and the Ballet Biarritz association will select a shortlist of applicants.
Shortlisted applicants will receive documents which will allow them to draw up a detailed artistic and cultural project, and a budgetary projection for a 4-year period from 1 January 2027.
Dossiers for this phase must be received no later than 16 May 2025. Any dossier received after this date will not be considered.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by the selection panel in mid-June 2025 – interviews will preferably be conducted in French, with the possibility of interpretation for non-French speakers – leading to appointment in the summer of 2025 after approval by the French Minister of Culture.
The appointment will take place on 1 January 2027 for a first term of 4 years, and possibly renewable for 2 terms of three years.
Applications should be sent to Mrs Catherine Pégard, President of CCN Ballet Biarritz, by email in PDF format only to the following address: recrutement-direction@malandainballet.com
