You have to understand that this is one angle of approach, but that there are a number of others.
As I mentioned, the agreement between France and Acadia is the only bilateral agreement that the French government has with an entity that is not a government. We are the only ones with whom it has such an agreement. The next version of the agreement, which should be signed very soon, will have my signature as president of the SNA board of directors, rather than that of a prime minister or a minister.
This has been said many times, but I think we need to take the time to think it through: The artist is a key ambassador for speaking about our culture and values, as well as for bringing a sense of the imaginary and exotic to our space. When an artist appears on the international stage, it's not just the artist and their work that are presented, but the whole people or country they represent. It's important to keep this in mind. It has an impact on recruitment, on immigration and on the economy, since people tell themselves they should come visit our country.
The impact is huge and goes beyond the few thousand dollars you can give an artist to pay for things like their plane ticket. After all, plane tickets are far too expensive, so obtaining this funding can be a determining factor in deciding whether an artist will tour France or not. Let's not forget this aspect.