In Couterne, the room of La Fraternelle is opening a new page in its history

“At last we have arrived”: so began his inaugural address, Sylvain Jarry, president of Cdc Andaine-Passaishe expressed the relief of the elected leaders to see this project come to an end.

Community owned since 2017, whenHenry Bonnell was in the head, this building was the subject of more than two years of study to make calculations and define priorities, but also to take action and get aid.

Launched in December 2018 (theoretically for 6 months), this renovation and improvement project, entrusted to architecture firm Archi Triad d’Argentan, finally it will last for about 4 years “due to the covid period, but also to unexpected events during work” stressed Sylvain Jarry.

The President was pleased with the results, recalling in passing the cost of this achievement for the platform equipment: €495,529 without tax, or €594,634 including tax. All are funded by grants: from Europe and the Leader program, €45,476 (for stage equipment); from the Government, through DETR (providing equipment for rural areas), €114,681; from the Province, €142,402; but also from the CDC’s own funds, up to €192,969.

A legacy steeped in history

“Now, we have to bring this room intended for cultural activities, for schools, or others,” launched President Jarry, who remembered that he held major meetings in this place, when he was a banker, in the 70-80s.

The Deputy Mayor of Couterne, Loïc Gaignon returned to the history of this area, which is part of the city’s heritage. “In the 1940s, there were two public schools, one for girls and one for boys. Wanting to create a private school, Couternois built the Salle de la Fraternelle in 1949 to turn it into a cinema. Among them, Father Jarry. Thanks to the La Fraternelle cinema, which at the time had 250 seats, the Saint Jean-Eudes school was able to see the light of day at 59, rue d’Alençon”.

Run by about forty volunteers, the theater offered shows on Friday evenings and weekends, which were packed.

I saw Aristocats, Big Mop, Bidasses en folie.

“But with the advent of television, attendance declined and theaters closed in the late 1970s.” And it is a performance activity that will take the place of “and the group produced up to eight shows in the 2000s”.

Shared success

So it is in memory of all these years that the elected members of the community have unanimously decided to christen this room: La Fraternelle.

“It is a great achievement where the history is preserved, and a room intended for entertainment, commented Sylvie Serais and Olivier Petitjean, department advisors. The spirit of the community shows that we can build things together”.

The Councilor of the Region, Catherine Meunier congratulated the actors of this project, remembering that the Region participated in the project financially within the framework of the regional agreement “whose objective is to maintain the attractiveness of the rural environment”.

Senator Nathalie Goulet praised the “determination of the elected officials to create this local cultural tool. The result is up to your desires. It was a bet and it will be a winning bet”.

While Couterne is out of his scope as a deputy, Jérôme Nury wanted to be there “because I liked the name La Fraternelle for these architectural devices in Bocage. It is the name of the republic that reminds of brotherhood”. The MP was pleased with the approach used: “working together, in strategy and providing funds” hand in hand with Pays du Bocage, Department, Region, State.

In music

If the new room is already used for theater and school children, Manuela Chevalier, vice president of Culture of the Cdc, presented a video that made it possible to appreciate the quality of the equipment.

The guest audience could applaud the Radio Cadillac trio. Originally from Calvados and La Manche, the musicians offered a swing-pop repertoire around adaptations, standards and songs, based on three-part sound ratios.

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