La Metive

Nestled in the heart of the Creuse, in rural central France, La Métive is a house of hospitality and an international residency for artistic creation and research. Founded in 2002 and housed since 2007 in the former mill of the Abbey of Moutier-d’Ahun, it welcomes artists, researchers and writers of all disciplines and from all over the world throughout the year. Residencies are tailored to each project, with no obligation to produce: a time and place for experimentation, time to dwell and to open to encounters. One question guides the whole project: “How can we create humanity together?” It shapes the way residents are welcomed, the ongoing dialogue with the people living in the area, and a programme of intercultural mediation that brings imaginations, experiences and sensibilities together, from early childhood to old age. Grounded in cultural rights, La Métive sees every person as a bearer of culture, and the countryside not as a periphery but as a place where new ways of living and creating together are invented. La Métive is also a living space, open to travellers, professionals, curious minds and anyone wishing to share a moment of reflection, creation or conviviality. An inclusive library, a risograph print studio, a volunteer-run café, public talks, workshops and moments of transmission make it a place of sharing, of attention to others and of dialogue with the living world. It also hosts artists in exile and works with partners in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the French overseas territories. Each year, La Métive hosts three major events. La Festive is a multidisciplinary and popular festival of contemporary creation. Les Sororales is a week of mobilisation and training against gender-based and sexual violence and all forms of discrimination. Pour une autre écologie des liens brings people together to reflect on the commons and on our relationships with the living world. All of these activities follow a framework of care and respect for every person, set out in the association’s charter against gender-based and sexual violence and discrimination.