Located on the banks of the Loir in the Sarthe, Les Moulins de Paillard arts centre and artists' residence are engaged in a cultural project promoting heritage through contemporary arts.
THE HERITAGE SITE
The site of the Moulins de Paillard, which was successively a forge, a dye mill and then a paper mill in the 18th century, is located in the rural setting of the Loir Valley. It is a place rich in industrial, natural and architectural heritage, which spans the ages, particularly through the various productions that the buildings have housed for centuries. In 2009, Shelly De Vito and James Porter founded the eponymous association to revitalise this historic site through a contemporary arts project. The multiple heritages present at Paillard influence the creation of the artists in residence. A place of multidisciplinary experimentation, Paillard is an ideal setting for artists and researchers in their projects, which are often inspired by their encounter with the site and its various heritages. The decision to convert an industrial wasteland on the banks of the Loir into a contemporary arts centre and artists' residence was no accident. The considerations and research behind the creation of the Paillard arts centre take into account elements such as the existing situation, current and future uses, time, ecology and the economy, making Paillard a creative project in itself. The site represents a heritage complex of approximately 6000m2 of tufa stone buildings on a green area of almost 12000m2. Located on the banks of the Loir, the main building of this small campus offers several spaces including the old rotting house, which has become a cinema, suspended above the water; the Feuille Infinie theatre, approximately 240m2 bordered by two reaches, in which the notes of music, the steps of dance, the exchanges and the laughter between artists and audience resonate marvellously; or the Salle des Voutes, a space for welcoming, community life and sharing.
In another building, in the style of a mansion, at the entrance to the site, two apartments and several rooms form the artists' residence, whose capacity can be adapted according to the artists and their needs.
THE CULTURAL PROJECT
It is with a global and active vision of heritage, strongly linked to the notion of transmission, that the association has been conceiving and forging, since its creation, an artistic and cultural project, the foundations of which are based on the safeguarding, enhancement and sustainable preservation of the historic site on which it is located. From the dyeing and paper of yesteryear to the contemporary works and digital innovations of today, the life of this historic site questions the very notion of heritage. At Paillard, we believe that heritage is not only what we receive from the past but what we make of it for the future. This responsibility leads to the creation of logical, benevolent and lasting actions to ensure the transmission of the riches that heritage offers to future generations.’ Each of the projects is conceived and realised in resonance with the contexts and environments that we observe and in which we find ourselves.
In 2016, the Moulins de Paillard were recognised as an Atelier de Fabrique Artistique (AFA) by the French Ministry of Culture.
ACTIVITIES AND ACTIONS
Throughout the year, the Paillard arts centre is a place where encounters abound thanks to exhibitions, concerts, workshops, performances, mediations and conferences, intergenerational days, courses and workshops, and so on. This dense and varied programme, designed and offered free of charge to a wide audience of residents and tourists, whether initiated or simply curious, also supports new initiatives, collaborations with other associations and the venue's active participation in several networks in the region and beyond.
With more than 200 days of opening per year, the Moulins de Paillard have welcomed tens of thousands of visitors and artists. All the projects and activities are part of the present and future, encouraging a variety of questions open to everyone, whether artistic, cultural, educational, social or environmental.
LOCAL ANCHOR
The Paillard arts centre and artists' residence is an active member of the local, regional, national and even international network (in particular with the creation of a sister association in the United States), based on several reflections and topics for the future.
Paillard's roots are reflected in several ways. The association works with schools in some twenty local municipalities, from primary schools to sixth-form colleges, with other local associations and with the senior citizens of residential care homes. The arts centre and its directors are actively involved in boards of directors and committees, alongside elected officials and residents, to work on topics such as education, citizenship, heritage and tourism. Since the centre opened fifteen years ago, a whole generation has grown up with the programmes produced by Les Moulins de Paillard, activities that play an important role in culture and democracy in rural areas and elsewhere.
*associate member