Festival Moins 5

Festival Moins 5, when ice becomes a stage for creation

In the heart of the Auxerrois region, at the CyberGlace Ice Rink in Monéteau, a festival like no other has taken root since 2009. Festival Moins 5 transforms the icy surface each year into a space for living, multidisciplinary performance, boldly blending theater, dance, circus, and contemporary skating. Its name directly evokes the conditions of ice, this fragile and fascinating material that is at the core of the artistic identity of the Compagnie Moins 5.

At the origin of this adventure was a decisive encounter: that of the Quebec company Le Patin Libre with the Monéteau ice rink, during an artistic residency in 2009. From this collaboration, the first edition of the festival was born, then named « -5°C sur scène ». The spirit was set from the outset: to make ice no longer just a sports ground, but a territory for artistic exploration open to all.

A company at the heart of the project

The Compagnie Moins 5, founded by Alessandro Riccitelli and Thierry Vœgeli, is the artistic driving force behind the festival. In permanent residence at the CyberGlace Ice Rink, it produces and presents original shows that blur the lines between disciplines. Among its flagship creations are:

• ArtS sur Glace — a 50-minute show combining dance, circus, singing, and humor, performed by four to seven professional artists, embodying the company's founding ambition: « to transform ice into a stage ».
• L'Homme-Lames — a four-act play written by Valérie Durin, exploring family and educational dynamics through the lens of competitive figure skating.
• Trace(S) — the company's most recent creation, a contemporary skating performance bringing together artists from five countries, questioning the traces we leave behind — human, artistic, ecological.

A festival rooted in the international scene of contemporary skating

Festival Moins 5 has established itself as an unmissable event for the global contemporary skating community, an artistic movement that aims to make skating a living art in its own right, freed from the conventions of sports competition. Each edition invites international companies and artists to perform on the ice of Monéteau and to participate in open stages, short residencies, and workshops.

Among the artists who have marked the festival''s history, we can notably mention Le Patin Libre (Quebec), a pioneering company in contemporary skating, the German skaters from IceLab Leipzig (Katja Grohmann, Elisabeth Grau), and the artists from IceDanceTheater-Fusion, as well as performers from the European and North American scene who regularly make the trip to Monéteau.

An engaged and reflective festival

Beyond the performances, Festival Moins 5 stands out for its reflective and civic dimension. Each edition includes a program of debates and conferences on contemporary issues related to ice and ice rinks: energy transition, carbon footprint, economic models of sports and cultural facilities. The conference « Patinoire et énergie » led by NewPatinAge during the 2023 edition illustrates this desire to make the festival a space for critical thinking, where artistic creation dialogues with real-world issues.

CyberGlace itself embodies this commitment: the only ice rink in the Yonne department, it serves as a laboratory for energy innovation, operating entirely on electricity and working to reduce its environmental footprint. This unique context gives the festival an acknowledged ecological dimension, rare in the world of performing arts festivals.

A program for all audiences

Festival Moins 5 is resolutely accessible and family-friendly. Its program combines shows for the general public — from 6 years old for certain formats — open stages welcoming professional artists from around the world, and participatory artistic activities during public skating sessions. Spectators are not just spectators: they can put on their skates and share the ice with the artists during certain sessions, further blurring the line between the hall and the stage.

The Pass Culture is accepted for 15-18 year olds, guaranteeing free access for young audiences. Family and reduced rates complete the pricing system, in a spirit of cultural openness consistent with the company's values.

Festival Moins 5 in the cultural landscape of the Yonne

Supported by the Conseil Départemental de l'Yonne, the Mairie de Monéteau, and the Théâtre d'Auxerre, Festival Moins 5 plays a valuable role in the cultural fabric of a region more focused on summer music festivals or heritage events. It offers a unique artistic proposal, linked to a unique facility, a discipline rarely represented in French cultural programming, and an international ambition driven from a village in the Auxerrois.