At “Bouillon cube” good ideas for social ties simmer between the Hérault and Buèges valleys

L'équipe de l'association Bouillon cube. DR

Bouillon Cube has been boosting rural life since 2006 with its summer festivals, its third place, its social living space and other projects that are currently being developed.

When they met at university, Élise Armentier and Clayre Pitot immediately hit it off, they shared a desire to work on the animation of rural areas. In 2006, they founded the Bouillon Cube association in Causse-de-la-Selle, 350 inhabitants, where Clayre's family lives, between the Hérault and Buèges valleys.

“From the beginning, our project was multidisciplinary, hybrid with three axes: culture, childhood/youth and European mobility, says Élise. We wanted to create a rural cultural hub. It was a risky bet, at the time there must have been an association in Causse-de-la-Selle and another in Saint-Jean-de-Buèges!”

A first cultural season in 2007

But they believed in it and didn't give up. They settled in La Grange, a former 15th century farm building and its 17 ha of land outside the village. From 2007, the first cultural season livened up the summer, artists were welcomed in residence. Immediately after, at the start of the school year, the leisure center opened.

Outdoor shows during the summer.

Then came international projects and the reception of the first volunteers for six months. In 2014, the La Dinette youth festival was born, followed by two other summer events. “We have worked hard to professionalize the association. We have always defended these three areas of development and territorial anchoring. Ten years after our beginnings, two permanent positions at 35 hours were created”, indicates the co-director.

The La Dinette festival, a meeting place for young people.

Labels that boost the association

In 2018, Bouillon cube then had a more solid foundation, the population in the area was changing, as were mentalities. The need to do things together emerged, and a discussion on the creation of a third place was initiated with the Archipel causse et vallée de la Buèges.

The Covid period put cultural activity on hold and gave the team more time to work on the third place.“From 2020, the association will make a leap forward with the Fabriques de territoire label, awarded by the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion. This funding will make it possible to create two new positions. In September 2021, the third place La Grange was founded, then in January 2022 it was La Boussole Espace de vie sociale (EVS) approved by the CAF, with a new job at stake“, explains Élise.

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A place for sharing and exchanges

The Grange estate is being transformed. In addition to the Bouillon Cube offices, a shared office space, a friendly place, a professional kitchen, a recording studio, a kiosk that hosts external associations for activities, and outdoor stage areas used from May to September for festivals have been set up. La Grange is alive.

All the people who work at La Grange meet up to share a lunch.

Pauline Boa works in the performing arts and lives in Brissac.“I've known the place for a while, I like coming to this shared office every Tuesday. There's yoga at the kiosk, there's the collective canteen, it's social, it's nice, it's better than being all alone.” Eloïse Dougère, consultant and trainer in humanitarian work, therefore often teleworking or traveling, appreciates the Grange. “When they launched the participatory offices, I said to myself, you're not going to travel 15 km just to come to an office when you have one at home. But in the end, I find that it breaks the rhythm of teleworking. It's an inspiring, warm, pleasant place, you meet lots of people there, so I now come every Tuesday.”

Buildings and spaces have been developed around the old Grange.

The soup festival brings together in January

Romain Tournemine, the facilitator of the Espace de vie sociale (EVS) La Boussole, emphasizes the itinerancy of his structure between Causse-de-la-Selle and the three villages of the Buèges valley, Saint-Jean, Saint-André and Pégairolles-de-Buèges. “We intervene in multipurpose rooms, bars and cafés. We want to meet the needs of young people in rural areas and support projects.”

The complete pool of volunteers present at the summer evenings but also throughout the year as administrators of the Bouillon cube CA or volunteers of the EVS.

The residents have discovered what the EVS is, curious people are starting to suggest activities. “Little by little it's taking hold, but we have to adapt to people's rhythm, and we have to go and get them too. One of our highlights is the soup festival at the end of January, which brought together 80 participants in 2024. The Fête de la Musique is also a big event,” says the host.

Towards a local and sustainable school canteen

Bouillon cube is now known as a support structure, a resource center, a toolbox. “We have once again obtained the Fabrique du territoire label for 2025-2027. The challenges now are to make room for others, to maintain territorial balances, to work on the complementarity of offers”, analyzes Élise.

However, development continues, the association has launched an agricultural component. A beekeeper, a shepherdess, and a nurseryman are already installed on the estate. Her big project is a school canteen. “We are going to transform the professional canteen of the third place to be able to supply the two schools in Causse-de-la-Selle and Saint-Jean-de-Buèges. We hope to make it a reality in September 2025, we are taking our time because we are working on a viable economic model”, concludes Élise.

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