Students and artists occupy Frac Paca in Marseille, demanding cultural reopening

On March 25, 2021, students from the art school of Aix-en-Provence occupied the Frac Paca in Marseille, demanding the reopening of cultural venues. They were joined by artists and other art school students from the region, forming a collective that gained permission to stay inside the institution. The occupation aligns with ongoing theater occupations at La Criée and Le Merlan, marking the first major mobilization in the visual arts sector in Marseille. Similar actions spread to Saint-Étienne, Caen, Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, and Toulouse. The protesters aim to combat the 'invisibilization' of artists, exacerbated by the pandemic's classification of cultural activities as non-essential, leading to social precarity and lack of access to works. The occupation also seeks to address the structural marginalization of artists and the need for better social rights and status. Inside the Frac, the space is transformed into a production studio, an 'atelier sans mur' as described by Jean-Marc Poinsot, with performances and works shown in the city. New director Muriel Enjalran supports the occupation, seeing it as aligned with the Frac's mission to support emerging artists and creation. The movement highlights the desire for collective action born from isolation and the pressing issue of artists' precarious status.