CLAS – Collectif Local des Artisans du Spectacle
CLAS is an innovative project which drives mutualisation and management of entertainment equipment in the heart of the Landes department, rural territory of the New-Aquitaine Region. LABA supports the project through European structural funds dedicated to local development.
This project, which means «Collectif Local des Artisans du Spectacle», is a local initiative led by private and public individuals and organisations that is in line with the values of the social and solidarity economy. Indeed, it is animated and administered by a group of several different actors: local authorities, regional nature park, associations, artists and companies… who organise shows and live events and who have similar and complementary technical needs to produce them. They are therefore direct beneficiaries of CLAS’s services and support. The synergy that takes place is based on the complementarity of these actors, the skills and the implications of each.
In 2014, the first version of the project was born in an associative format bringing together 13 different organisations: 2 departments (Landes and Gironde), 3 cities, 6 associations, the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park and IDDAC, the departmental agency for artistic and cultural development. Interest in this initiative grew very quickly and in 2017 CLAS employs one full-time employee and several one-off contracts to meet the strong demand. Little by little, each member takes ownership of the project according to its needs: some entrust CLAS with the entire management, some make their equipment available, and many exchanges take place around the themes of equipment and safety in the reception of the public. Quickly, the collective perceived the importance of a precise inventory and the regular updating of a database to optimise the circulation of equipment.
After several years of experience in the field, following the growing demand for loans and services, and with 36 members, the association became more competent in providing professional equipment and technical support for local cultural and artistic events.
At the end of 2019, CLAS becomes a Competence Centre under a legal structure SCIC « Société Coopérative d’intérêt collectif » which establishes cooperative governance between members as a keystone of CLAS’s operation. It is within this framework that the project has benefited from a grant from the European LEADER programme, focused on investment in professional stage equipment, the development of the CLAS offer and the increase in competence of its team.
Today, CLAS promotes the development of artistic and cultural actions and events in a rural territory, by mobilizing the technical equipment and the skills of technicians necessary for their realization, in a mutualist approach.
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Acerca del autor
Maud Gari
Maud’s mission at LABA since 2020 is to develop the professional community and enhancing the different activities and projects of LABA’s partners. Maud lead in 2018 an European cooperation project dedicated to women music entrepreneurs (MEWEM).
Le LABA
Founded in 2013, Le LABA is a centre of expertise specialising in European funding and intervenes in the creative and cultural industries sector. We help to identify, raise and manage European funds. We help you in your internationalization strategy and in your local development strategy.
