My objective for the 2009-10 season is to again create a criss-crossing of genres, styles and forms, working with a new generation of creators as well as with the emblematic artists of our time, all of whom will be bringing us their best, most rigorous work.
In a season of more than sixty pieces, one third of which had not even been conceived at the time of their programming, we will be presenting many premieres. Of these, ten works will be the result of artistic residencies at La Filature, including Jonathan Pontier, Heddy Maalem, Valéry Warnotte and Charlie Windelschmidt, and will be co produced by La Filature.

You are also invited to share with us the wonderful universes of Cécile Babiole, Joachim Latarjet and Arne Sierens. They are Associate Artists at La Filature, working and performing regularly here, as well as going out into the community on various cultural missions.

Artists from our region will be a big part of the season, featuring Bernard Bloch, Eve Ledig, Electrik GEM, Catherine Dreyfus, Herzfeld, Christophe Greilsammer, the Collectif Burstscratch and more.

I hope that you will be as moved as I was by these works: the unsettling opera by Guy Cassiers, Les Belles endormies (Sleeping Beauties), co-produced by La Filature and presented for the first time in France under the auspices of Musica; the fantastic universe of Amerika; the young and extremely talented Claude Schmitz; the sublime production of Woyzeck on the Highveld by the South African artists William Kentridge and the Handspring Puppet Company; by the enchanting Ice by François Verret – or by the singularity of the commitment of Nieke Swennen with La Chambre d'Ange (The Angel’s Room) in which the Ballet of the Opéra National du Rhin will be performing.
La Filature also presents three marquee events, not to be missed under any circumstances: Les Nuits du Ramadan (Nights of Ramadan), festival TRANS(E) and la Semaine de la chanson (Song Week), as well as ciné-concerts, works for young audiences, many collaborations with the cultural icons of the Mulhouse region, the Orchestre Symphonique of Mulhouse, the Tréteaux de Haute-Alsace, the Créa de Kingersheim, the Noumatrouff, the Dominicains de Guebwiller, the Quai – école supérieure d’art de Mulhouse, the Université de Haute-Alsace, the National School of Music, Theatre and Dance, the Rhine Centre of contemporary art of Altkirch, and many more.

And as always to introduce the new season, I offer the floor to a photographer, Myr Muratet, who will add greatly to the programmes at La Filature, giving his unique point of view of the city through his artist’s notebook.

La Filature is a space open to all.

I wish you a wonderful season.

-- Joël Gunzburger, Director