The official label ‘Centre culturel de rencontre (CCR, or ‘Heritage site for culture’ in English) has been awarded to Clarenza, Bastide de l’Oralité, which is based at La Bastide Clairence in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The official label ‘Centre culturel de rencontre (CCR, or ‘Heritage site for culture’ in English) has been awarded to Clarenza, Bastide de l’Oralité, which is based at La Bastide Clairence in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
A member of the ACCR since 2017, Clarenza is the first CCR to be awarded the label since the devolving of the accreditation process and the 18th French site to carry the label.
The CCR label is assigned to heritage sites that are dedicated to novel artistic, cultural and scientific projects. The Clarenza project is original in that it is based in the open and lively 14th-century fortified village of La Bastide Clairence; the project highlights both the tangible and intangible heritage of its community.
Since its creation in 2017, Clarenza has explored the topic of orality, inviting local residents and those from further afield to take part in creative activities through shared or combined residencies. Two key events take place each year: ‘Primaderan’ in spring, which puts encounters with diverse creative artists at the heart of the site; and ‘Larrazkenean’ in autumn, which focuses on shared artistic experiences. The village is the theatre; the performance opportunities therefore limitless.
The awarding committee paid tribute to the excellence of Clarenza’s project, which brings together diverse skills and knowledge, the transmission of popular traditions and contemporary musical creation – while at the same time involving as many local residents as possible.
Alongside this, the local council has also applied for categorisation as a ‘Site Patrimonial Remarquable’.
The Clarenza CCR is run by Kristof Hiriart, a singer and percussionist and artistic director of the company LagunArte.