Côté Jardin, Jean Vilar and Avignon

Maison Jean Vilar is a place of memory, transmission, invention of the work of Jean Vilar and popular theater.
Opened in 1979 by Paul Puaux, Jean Vilar’s right-hand man and director of the Festival d’Avignon from 1971 to 1979, it brings together archives, in particular those of Jean Vilar and the Festival d’Avignon, and a specialised library, a branch of the Department of Performing Arts of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Based on Jean Vilar’s thinking, it wishes to inscribe his legacy in the present, to participate in the debates that cross the public theatre and cultural policies, and to make room for artists to transmit, interpret and reinvent the history of popular theatre.

The exhibition is included in the programme of the 75th Festival d’Avignon (from 5 to 25 July 2021) and the Grand Arles Express of the Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles (from 4 July to 26 September 2021).

Photographers: Agnès Varda, Maurice Costa, Suzanne Fournier, Serge Lido and Boris Lipnitski