Plateforme Interrégionale Échange et Coopération pour le développement culturel

The economy of Choirs

SURVEY ON THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF CHOIRS IN FRANCE

The Interregional platform, which coordinated the work of the Voice Mission on Choral Practices in France from 1999 to 2004 [1], decided to extend its study to the material conditions of choirs in France and to the economic impact of their activity.
The survey includes data about voluntary contributions in kind (volunteering, venues made available to choirs at no cost, etc.), sociological factors and budget data which enable us to begin to define a typology of choirs and to better understand the organization of this musical environment, which includes amateur as well as professional practitioners, not-for-profit structures or third-party structures (whose profile is defined in the new survey).
This document is primarily a tool that aims to stimulate reflection and exchange, both in France and with other networks of choral singing in Europe and worldwide, in a context where economic models are constantly changing. We hope that readers will find the elements of the study useful to their understanding of the changing choral field – changes in the ways choirs manage their activities as well as the broader sphere of practices and aesthetics in which choirs now play a part.
For ease of dissemination, an electronic version can be downloaded

The economy of choirs