9 Art Projects to Foster Civic Engagement in Rural Communities

Across France, organizations are forging new partnerships to address the social, economic, environmental, and cultural challenges facing rural communities. Through art, they help strengthen civic engagement and empower people to take action. Discover the nine 2026 winners of our call for proposals on “Mediations and Cultural Democracy.”

Partnerships to Foster New Solutions

Climate change and water stress, social isolation in rural areas, gender inequality, and the preservation of local intangible cultural heritage: the concerns of residents in rural communities are diverse, and their solutions to address these issues are all the more creative. The use of art, beyond its purely aesthetic dimension, makes it possible to raise questions and engage citizens.

Once again this year, the winners of our call for projects Médiations and Cultural Democracy stand out for the diverse groups behind them, united by the need to combine the expertise of cultural actors, arts organizations, social sector organizations, citizen groups, and local governments to bring new solutions to these issues.

Culture: At the Heart of Rural Dynamics

Far from the image of regions devoid of cultural life, the winning projects, on the contrary, demonstrate a strong capacity for initiative. What sets them apart is that they draw on local history, a concrete issue, or a real-life experience to turn creative expression into a space for dialogue and engagement.

“People often talk about a ‘cultural desert’ when referring to rural areas, but that’s not the case. What actually exists is an uneven network of cultural institutions and venues. That’s what makes this call for projects particularly interesting: it relies on cultural actors who are closest to the residents,” explains Renaud Weisse, Advisor for Cultural and Regional Action at the DRAC Grand Est and a member of the jury.

From the Grenette River to the return of the wolf to the Double region, from the memory of rituals in the Haut-Allier to the stories of women in the Dordogne, the nine selected projects (see below) are thus rooted in very different realities. But they all seek to create the conditions for an encounter: between residents and artists, between generations, between people who do not always interact, or even between perspectives that are sometimes at odds.

“These projects all have one thing in common: they stem from a local story, a lived experience, or an issue specific to the region. This allows the residents who take part to reclaim their community, to help bring it to life and make it thrive, but also to foster a sense of pride and belonging,” emphasizes Renaud Weisse.

Long-term support

After a thorough review of all applications, 17 projects were shortlisted and presented to a panel of experts, which selected the nine winners. To enrich the discussion, three past winners were invited to serve on the panel so they could share their experiences as project leaders.

Three winning teams will receive specialized support to develop their projects over a six-month period, allowing them to refine their approaches before being selected by a second, non-competitive jury.

Bringing artists, organizations, local governments, and residents together to work as a team cannot be done on the fly. The experiences of past winners, supported by the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, show that cooperation is built in stages: you have to get to know one another, share knowledge and practices, experiment, adjust roles, and sometimes adapt the project as the process unfolds. In the southern Luberon, for example, the partners of *Les Assemblées extraordinaires*, the 2024 award winner, spent several months experimenting with new forms of cooperation with a small group of project ambassadors before they were able to expand participation to a larger number of residents. In Saint-Pardoux-la-Croisille and Le Chastang, the “Manger avec les oreilles” project also required time to reach out to residents and build a relationship of trust.

With this in mind, the Foundation is offering a six-month development phase for three of this year’s winning projects. This phase allows the teams to strengthen their governance, test their initial ideas, and build local partnerships before moving forward. This phase is sometimes behind the scenes, but it is essential for fostering strong and sustainable collective projects.

Recommended reading: “In Rural Areas, Art Builds Bonds and Revitalizes Democracy”

The jury

• Romain Barré — La Bulle, Hautes-Alpes (winner of the call for projects—2024 edition)
• Sébastien Bénazet — Topophone, Toulouse
• Sonia Derzypolski — Refaire Assemblée, Haute-Loire (winner of the call for projects—2024 edition)
• Margaux Fouquet — Le Jardin Partagé, Puy-de-Dôme (winner of the call for projects—2024 edition)
• Pierre Gernet — Polymorphe Corp
• Alice-Anne Jeandel — Observatory of Cultural Policies, Grenoble
• Manon Kempinaire — Haute Tarentaise Community of Municipalities
• Benoît Mounier – Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation France
• Elodie Rolland — RTE Foundation for Rural Communities
• Karine Tauzin — Lyon Contemporary Art Biennial
• Renaud Weisse — DRAC Grand Est

Who are the nine 2026 winners?

1. Protecting the Grenette Watershed

Les Amanins Association (26) – project in the planning stage

In the Drôme region, water stress is causing long-term damage to the Grenette River and calls for collective action. Since 2023, the association Les Amanins has been bringing together farmers, elected officials, residents, and local businesses around a regenerative landscape approach that combines hydrology, agroforestry, and agricultural practices. In partnership with the theater company Les Racines du Vent, the project uses storytelling, sound design, and puppetry to raise awareness among residents and foster a shared culture of “caring” for water, biodiversity, and agricultural resilience.

2. The Radiant Trail

Behind the Window (12) – project in the development phase

In Livinhac-le-Haut, in the Aveyron region, “La piste radieuse” invites us to rethink the livability of a rural area shaped by its industrial past. Led by Derrière Le Hublot, the municipality, and the Decazeville Communauté Tourist Office—in collaboration with a broad network of partners—the project highlights local expertise, stories, and imagination through an artistic and participatory approach.

By bringing together residents, artists, and partners, it fosters new ways of living and building community, particularly by giving a voice to so-called “invisible” groups.

3. The Convergence of Solitudes

La Palette (23) – project in the development phase

In the Creuse department, *Confluences des solitudes* explores the various forms of loneliness in rural areas, seeking to combat isolation while celebrating chosen and empowering forms of solitude. Led by La Palette and the Compagnie Saute Le Pas!, the project is part of an initiative focused on “everyday forms of resistance” and draws on immersive experiences with home health aides, door-to-door outreach, and a collection of “lonely socks”—a pretext for connection. This sensitive assessment will inform artistic workshops designed to foster a collective voice and transform perspectives on solitude.

4. Calendar of Activities for the Earth and All Living Things

Les Décisifs Theater Company – Les Ateliers du milieu (52 and 21)

In the National Forest Park, straddling the Haute-Marne and Côte-d’Or departments, the project *Calendrier des gestes de la terre et des vivants* seeks to rebuild rural solidarity that has been weakened by isolation and changes in the agricultural world. Led by the theater company Les Décisifs – Les Ateliers du milieu, it brings together residents, farmers, artisans, and artists through immersive workshops. Everyday objects, agricultural practices, and rituals tied to the cycles of the earth thus become the raw material for creativity, helping to revive shared moments and foster new collective rituals.

5. We Can Be Heroes

Morvan Great Lakes Community Centers (58 and 71)

In the Morvan region, “We Can Be Heroes” gives leading roles to vulnerable or stigmatized residents: the elderly, people with disabilities, those who are isolated, or those living in precarious circumstances. Organized in partnership with the Grands Lacs du Morvan Social Center, the project combines theater, social action, and documentary research. Through workshops, improvisation sessions, and residencies, participants explore their life stories and experience life as part of a theater troupe, leading up to a tour of poetic and burlesque performances in which they embody heroes from cult films. A sociological and cinematic approach accompanies the project to examine representations of vulnerability.

6. No one can hear us scream here

The World Station (24)

In the Dordogne, the project “Here, No One Can Hear Us Scream” places women at the heart of a community-based art initiative. In response to voices that are still too rarely heard, the collective Les Arts à souhait, the theater company Souffler sur les braises, and the CIDFF are creating spaces for expression centered on the spoken word in four municipalities. Participants share their experiences and explore writing and theater to develop a collective voice on women’s rights, violence, and gender inequalities.

7. Rituals of the Haut Allier

Grosso Modo Association (43)

In the Haut-Allier region of the Haute-Loire department, the Grosso Modo association and a collective of cultural actors and residents are working to revive community rituals to combat isolation and individualism. The project draws on memories of past, present, or imagined rituals, gathered from local residents, to collaboratively design a major local ritual. Through collection, creation, and experimentation, the project aims to revive collective practices linked to the region’s intangible cultural heritage and to invent new ways of sharing.

8. On the Track in the Double

CIVAM: Produce, Share, Eat Local (33, 24)

In the Double, an 800-km² forested area between the Dordogne and Gironde departments, the return of the wolf is altering the local ecological balance and reigniting tensions. Led by CIVAM Produire Partager Manger Local and a network of 120 citizen “watchers,” the project *En piste dans la Double* is based on two artistic creations: an immersive audio tour and a participatory theatrical production. Drawing on the testimonies of farmers, hunters, ecologists, and hikers, these works seek to foster dialogue between sometimes conflicting perspectives and to envision shared futures between humans and non-humans.

9. The Art of Connection

Tero Loko (38)

In Notre-Dame-de-l’Osier, in the Isère department, Tero Loko welcomes people in exile and living in extreme poverty and supports their integration through organic vegetable farming and baking. Through “L’Art du lien,” the organization aims to make culture a space where exiles, local residents, and community leaders can come together. Video, theater, music, and creative writing will fuel cycles of participatory creation and a program tied to local life. The project celebrates languages and life experiences to bring forth collective narratives and shift perspectives on welcoming others.

Photo credits: © La Grenette; © We Can Be Heroes; © Aymeric Swiatoka; © Calendar of Actions for the Earth and All Living Things; © The Radiant Trail; © Confluence of Solitudes; © Here, No One Can Hear Us Scream; © Rituals of the Haut Allier; © On the Trail in the Double; © The Art of Connection