HERITAGE SITE

A former convent classified as a historical monument, the former Dominican convent of Haute-Alsace is a Mecca of Alsatian architectural heritage where Rhenish humanism reigns. Built in the 14th century, consisting of a church and a cloister, it survived numerous wars before being abandoned by the Dominican friars during the French Revolution and sold as a national asset. The owner of the site between 1991 and 2021, the Haut-Rhin Departmental Council invested significant resources in its restoration. The site is now owned by the European Collectivity of Alsace, which is also the main funder. The nave of Saint Pierre-et-Paul has preserved exceptional murals from the 14th, 16th and 18th centuries. It also has one of the few rood screens in the region. The highlight is the exceptional acoustics that diffuse sound without echo, absorbed by a wooden ceiling that reaches a height of 24 metres. The first concert was given on 22 December 1838, at the instigation of Jean-Jacques Bourcart, owner and patron who wanted to ‘ennoble the mind and heart through music, bring about unity and fraternity among our fellow citizens, and enliven the musical taste around us’. That was that, and it has remained that way ever since. The venue's musical vocation dates back to the 19th century. The Guebwiller Music Society called on prestigious performers, such as Clara Schumann, who gave four concerts there from 1862 onwards. Artist residencies were encouraged from the 19th century onwards, including that of Sigismond Neukomm, a pupil of Joseph Haydn who composed several of his works at the convent.

CULTURAL PROJECT

Music and Digital Arts form the DNA of the CCR.

The music has a very wide spectrum: classical, ancient and world music, baroque and contemporary music, crossover, etc. No trend is banned within the walls of the former convent, which favours new forms of listening and reinvents the concert. The audience can lie back on a deckchair or a mattress and listen to spatialised ensembles in a hall under a geodesic dome. The openness is also reflected in the welcome extended to different audiences, whether or not they are used to concert halls, who meet at the Seraphim bar, reinvented for each evening.

Digital arts: video backdrops created by specialised artists and projected directly on the walls during concerts, or under a dome. Not to mention the digital installations created by artists in residence in the halls of the former convent. These artists come from all over the world to enrich the CCR and regularly come to meet the public.

ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS

Mediation activities: disseminating culture and making it accessible to all is at the heart of the CCR project. To make everyone feel at home and because difference is measured in the most infinitesimal details, this begins on arrival, with personalised support, in addition to an adapted rate. Once trust is established, curiosity can be freely exercised: a breeding ground for interactivity and creativity.

Residences: the artists in residence have a unique creative space with the CAV, a haven of peace combining complete freedom and personalised support. The projects favoured are those that demonstrate both a great freedom of tone and a strong desire to share, because the artist has a real social role to play. A global approach that makes the Dominicains de Haute-Alsace a true cultural facilitator and a centre open to the world.

Dissemination: the convent exports its know-how by offering to disseminate shows off the beaten track. A geodesic dome will be the theatre of experiments combining live music and digital arts. So many productions ‘made in Dominicains’ that will tour the world.