Château de Lavardens - CICAC

At the heart of the Gers and its lush countryside stands the castle of Lavardens. First the medieval fortress of the counts of Armagnac, it was dismantled by Charles VIII in 1496. It was then in the seventeenth century, Antoine de Roquelaure, close companion of Henri IV, rebuilt the castle for his young wife. The years passed, and Antoine de Roquelaure was unable to finish the construction of this monument.

The centuries and the owners succeeded and the castle undergoes some changes. In the nineteenth century, the castle was sold in co-ownership (twelve families lived in, sharing the room), but by lack of maintenance, the roof collapsed in 1923. Since 1970, it is an association that restores , manages and gives life through exhibitions.

Lavardens Castle welcomes between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors each year. It hosted up to 80,000 for major exhibitions such as Camille Claudel or Salvador Dali.

The International Contemporary Art Communication Centre succeeded the castle backup association in March 2014. The present CICAC then this place as a major site dedicated to the creation and research through the visual arts of the XX and XXI centuries the contemporary writing, creating music and lyrics, new technologies applied to living art, and heritage and landscape scene. In its structure and philosophy, CICAC approximates very closely to those of a Cultural Meeting Centre, which we intend to apply label, starting a cultural tourism excellence.

The CICAC aims to restore parts of the castle that need to be renovated: the south terrace, outdoor galleries, the top.

The CICAC also has several projects that would develop through the years:

• Ambitious exhibitions of visual arts with French and international artists
• A House of Artists. It will be a meeting place for various artists and composers.
• Festivals during the year
• An Opera Theatre Company
• The International Institute for Professional Integration of the Performing Arts (3 IPAS), which will aim to expand the skills and prepare for the professional integration of young artists of the lyric and music scene.
• A mastery of children, intended to create social links between children
• An international music contest, music chamber, intended to introduce young artists

Sponsorship is also one of the important projects CICAC. The sponsorship is for a company to donate cash, kind, or skills, organization of general interest, without expectation of return equivalent consideration. Corporate philanthropy should not be reduced to a simple fundraising but be seen as a partnership between two organizations.