Mondiofolk consigned to history as Charente-Maritime loses popular folk festival

Description:

After thirty editions of Mondiofolk, organisers decided on Friday to call a halt to the popular folk festival, citing reduced subsidy as the main cause.

The summer event that has welcomed thousands of dancers and musicians from around the world during its thirty editions, cost around 100,000€ per year to put on and required the goodwill of around 150 volunteers to help manage it.  The 2008 edition was subsidised to the tune of 60%, but this kind of finance was not likely to be made available for 2009.

The event was launched in 1978 by Christian Granger, who wanted to create a kind of cultural exchange by inviting artists from far-flung places to come and perform in the small commune of Montguyon in Charente-Maritime, under the banner of world peace.  He died in 2002, but the team kept the event going under new president Marie-Laure Bouyat.

The 2008 edition was a success, with acts travelling from places such as Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela to perform at the end of July, but financially the event was barely able to cover its costs.  The office of the event will remain open while the team administers the closure.