France/ "Do we really listen to young people? an association in the Deux-Sèvres region takes the initiative
The Parthenais-based association Écofestival Ça Marche has presented an encouraging balance sheet and announced the return of the event in September 2026.
For several seasons now, the Parthenay-based association Écofestival Ça Marche has been cultivating a rare space: one where young and not-so-young gather around cinema, music and debate to reflect together on the world's upheavals.
Its recently presented 2025-2026 moral report paints a mixed picture, between militant vitality and financial fragility.
Are we really listening to young people? This question, put bluntly in the moral report of this Parthenais-based association, sums up the ambition of the project. For several years, this collective has endeavored to offer, via its festival, not only a space for expression, but also a real lever for action on their future. Cinema, music, workshops, debates: each format is designed to build active citizenship, rooted in today's environmental, social and democratic realities.
Relevance of the model
After the association and its activities had been put on hold, a team made up of veterans of the ecofestival's great years decided to take up the challenge. The team is made up of young, dynamic and motivated people, full of ideas and dynamism. They've all rolled up their sleeves. And it seems that the mayonnaise took, with a 2025-2026 season that confirmed the relevance of the model.
Four films were screened, each followed by a debate open to the general public, and all were well attended. It's a source of great satisfaction for the active volunteers, who admit that the ciné-débats bring together an average of seventy people, while the more intimate workshops attract around fifteen participants. But it's a good start, and the feedback has been very positive.
Following on from this, the first Fresco Climate workshop, organized in partnership with the Centre Socioculturel L'Arpentèle in Châtillon-sur-Thouet, attracted fourteen participants of all ages and backgrounds. It was enough to make those present at the general meeting realize that living together is also built on the diversity of generations.
A target audience: young people
But the association has not forgotten its target audience: young people. Giving young people the right to shape their own future is the association's raison d'être," said Benoît de Cornulier, one of the association's five co-presidents. In the field, this translates into numerous local partnerships with Le Foyer cinema, the two high schools, the EREA in Saint-Aubin-le-Cloud and the associations Ah?, Diffart, UPCP Métives and Le Rouge-Gorge.
However, the enthusiasm of our partners is not enough to compensate for the financial tensions, as money remains the sinews of war. Two grant applications were submitted in 2025. One from the Fonds de développement de la vie associative (FDVA) was accepted with €3,000 for operating costs. The application to Parthenay town hall has not yet received a response..." explains Benoît de Cornulier. This is still not enough to carry out our projects and actions.
A sleepless night
Far from giving up, the association has already scheduled two events for the 2026-2027 season. Not least with the return of the much-anticipated eco-festival. There's still a lot to think about and manage. We're laying the groundwork," say the participants. The event will be followed by an open-air Nuit blanche (all-nighter) in the town center, featuring documentaries, fiction on the big screen and live concerts. Quite a program.
Eleven guests and five co-presidents
The Écofestival Ça Marche association brings together 16 active participants. Five co-presidents, Hélène Rivaleau, Salomé Lamuré, Benoît de Cornulier, Jean Collon and Jérôme Marolleau, all sit on the Board of Directors, and eleven permanent guests.
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Saturday, September 12, 2026, a date to remember
The next edition of the ecofestival is now known. It will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9 a.m., on Place du Drapeau and at the Palais des Congrès. A day entirely dedicated to ecology, conviviality and the discovery of local initiatives.
On the program: a market of local producers, all certified organic, to discover local flavors and products, as well as bars and restaurants open for lunch and dinner, and even a night out for night owls.
Visitors will also be able to browse the stands of eco-responsible exhibitors, take part in workshops throughout the day, ranging from manual activities to intellectual games, and take part in a major participatory debate around the theme For/Against, to constructively discuss current ecological issues.
The Palais des Congrès will host film screenings, while the 2026 novelty, the first Nuit blanche, will feature live concerts and outdoor projections on giant screens, offering a cultural and festive experience right through to the end of the night. The organizers are now calling for volunteers. We need to fine-tune the content of each module and put together teams of volunteers," they explain.
To this end, an information meeting is scheduled for Tuesday May 19, at 6 p.m., in the Salle Mandela at 2, rue Ernest-Pérochon in Parthenay. Participants will be able to obtain information, propose ideas and join the festival adventure.
Source: www.ouest-france.fr/
