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'' Leu Tempo Festival 2007 '' : D-day-18
On May 8th 2007, begins the ninth edition of the annual and international street arts festival in Saint-Leu, the “Leu Tempo Festival”. A key event in Reunion Island’s cultural landscape, this festival continues its policy of “bien vivant et pas pareil” (“well alive and not the same”) in presenting off-the-wall street shows, puppet shows and circus shows. Its main objective is to make the audience react, develop its taste for festivals’culture and above all create a platform for exchanges in Saint-Leu.
The rain had spoilt the last festival ; that’s why the organizers are expecting the sun to be here for 2007 edition. Nearly 140 shows are scheduled including circus companies, puppeteers, dancers and street comedians. Everyone is sure to find something to their taste. The rest of the year, the organizers do the rounds of all the festivals in search of novelties. They bother to offer a wide range of artists in order to multiply influences, approaches and to be accessible to as many people as possible with no age limit.
Like past years, the city of Saint-Leu will experience the festival during one week (from 8th May to 12th May) with no traffic zones in order to let the audience move easily and to leave space for the stages in the open air. The all concept is to take the spectators to unconventional places, such as a ravine by starlight by instance, and create an even more off-the-wall atmosphere.
A foretaste to make you feel like going to the festival : Clowns will join in ; a crane and a dancer will perform a dance made of steel and flesh and a jugler will give everyday objects a new lease of life. Beyond the performance, these different shows will encourage the audience to take part in order to make the festival more lively.
Marion Vigreux
April 2007
Interview of Jean Cabaret, in charge of the festival’s timetable:« Eccentricity is what we like in Tempo. »
« As in previous years, this festival aims at bringing the artists and the spectators together and making the audience react. We think the spectators should be active and shouldn’t remain mere consumers. As a matter of fact, this festival was created first and foremost for the audience. The idea is to encourage the spectators to have a chat with the artists who performed on the asphalt where they were sitting. Everything lies in the pleasure, the “well alive” concept and the convivial atmosphere. The festival aims at releasing positive energy and encouraging creation and unexpectedness »
« The “Leu Tempo festival” is important for the whole island insofar as the shows are not static. They do not concern Saint-Leu only., This festival stands as a springboard for the artists of Reunion Island. Indeed, more and more professionals of the showbusiness come from abroad. This year, we will welcome the manager of the “le chaînon manquant” festival performed near Toulouse as well as managers of French cultural centres in the Indian Ocean. The festival helps promoting the local artists. Encouraging and promoting local creations is important to us. Besides, the maturity of a festival depends on its impact and its ambition. »
« This year, schoolchildren are Tempo’s main target. Different shows will be performed in schools from April 30th to May 3 rd. About three thousand children will be concerned. It is essential for us to organize such activities in order to promote the festival and let the children interact with the artists. » |
« We select the companies in a very drastic way since the offer is high. We are indeed one of the biggest show producers in France, all levels taken into account. Generally speaking, the more the proposals are original, the more they appeal to us. Eccentricity is what we like in Tempo. For the rest, everything depends on the artist himself, on his charisma and on the relation he will strike up with the audience. We are interested in artists who have developed their own style and who make the spectators react, who divide, delight or destabilize them through their shows. » 
This month, Runweb propose to you to see :
(7)Miscellaneous (4)Exhibitions (3)Concerts
(3)Sport (1)Theatre Place
