Les Envolées

Les Envolées: A Unique Springboard for Young Theatre Creation

Since 2012, Les Envolées has been a solidarity initiative supporting young theatre creation in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Managed by the Grenoble-based collective Troisième Bureau, this biennial program aims to identify and support young artists with a fresh perspective on the world, helping them to "make their first theatrical gesture visible in a professionalization process".

Each cycle, following a call for projects open to artists residing in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, three emerging companies are selected to benefit from comprehensive support for their first professional creation, which must be based on a contemporary dramatic text, published or unpublished.

Comprehensive and Shared Support

The initiative relies on the pooling of resources, skills, and expertise from nine partner cultural structures: Collectif Troisième Bureau (Grenoble), L'Autre Rive (Eybens), Le Pot au Noir (Saint-Paul-lès-Monestier), TMG – Théâtre Municipal de Grenoble, Saint-Martin-d'Hères en Scène – l'Heure Bleue, Théâtre des Clochards Célestes (Lyon), Théâtre de l'Élysée (Lyon), Théâtre de l'Iris (Villeurbanne), and Festival Textes en l'air (Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye).

Demanding Artistic Support

The three laureate companies receive dramaturgy support from recognized playwrights, scenographic support from a scenographer graduated from the École du Théâtre National de Strasbourg, and access to the set workshops of the Théâtre Municipal de Grenoble. Logistically, each company has three weeks of creation residency at partner venues, with the support of a dedicated general stage manager.

Administrative and Financial Support

The support also includes an administrative and financial component: rehearsal fees, travel expenses, fees for nine performances, and a budget for set materials. This system allows young artistic teams to concentrate fully on their creative work under professional conditions.

A Networked Diffusion Across the Region

The creations are presented during the Biennale of young theatre creation, held in October in three emblematic venues: L'Autre Rive in Eybens, Le Pot au Noir in Saint-Paul-lès-Monestier, and TMG – Théâtre de Poche in Grenoble. The shows then continue their tour in partner Lyon theatres in the autumn, before concluding their run at the Festival Textes en l'air in Saint-Antoine-l'Abbaye the following summer.

A Commitment to Intergenerational Exchange

Beyond material support, Les Envolées fosters intergenerational exchanges between established and emerging artists, creating a space for dialogue and transmission essential for the renewal of the contemporary theatre scene. The initiative is supported by the DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the City of Grenoble.