Le Festival d’Alba-la-Romaine is under the responsability of La Cascade, national center for circus arts (PNAC), since 2009.

A contemporary circus festival in a departmental area of exceptionnal heritage : the antique site of Alba-la-Romaine.

The purposes of la Cascade revolves around :

• the support of artistic creation in accompanying artists and troupes, organizing artists residencies and coproducing shows.
• a place for the artists to rehearse and research new techniques : long term residence for artist named “cohabitant » (period from 3 months to 1 year), organisation of professional meetings (art laboratory or workshops) around a circus discipline
• a place to perform and meet audience : public presentations, Festival d’Alba-la-Romaine”…
•  a venue for transmission and formation : training and formation for professional artists and general publics.

The artistic development of the festival accords with the artistic project of La Cascade, a circus art and clown venue directed by an artist and the enhancement of the exceptional heritage that is the antique site of Alba-la-Romaine.

The festival’s programming is often the result of artistic relation with artists that have been hosted for residency in la Cascade. Some performances can beneficiate from coproduction, creation support or a privileged partnership.

Le Carbunica – Matthieu Dupont

A contemporary circus festival in a departmental area of exceptionnal heritage : the antique site of Alba-la-Romaine.

The artistic direction has been handed by the department to Alain Reynaud, clown from Les Nouveaux & Cie and artistic director of la Cascade. The natural resources of this village in the south of Ardeche, the remarkable archaelogical site are the ideal place for a festive and popular event for five days.

a strong regional anchoring

We have some partners (cultural, institutional, private and social), all from the area and involved in the territorial development. Le Festival d’Alba has become a major cultural event that participates into the development of the territory. The companies we work with are for the majority from Ardeche (our department) or from the Region Rhône-Alpes.

On the 50 hired employees of the festival, 90% are from here. All artists are housed in gites, guest houses or in homestay accomodations in Alba-la-Romaine and its surroundings. We integrate the inhabitants of Alba-la-Romaine and around into the preparation of the festival. During the 2021 edition, there were 134 volunteers (of which 100 from Alba). The inhabitants are really attached to their festival and they invest themselves significantly. They are our best ambassador in term of communication. We also work with several local associations for the implementation of pedagogical workshops (circus introduction, trapeze…), catering stands, equipment loans… The festival is a place for artistic convergences, it offers a new look on the heritage area that is the Antique Site, an other way to think about our heritage for the inhabitants and also for the many tourists who come in the festival.
The festival finds its cruising speed but it continues to develop, especially with the Prealables, a foretaste of the festival, that occures one month before with six days of performances in the villages around.

Grégoire Edouard