The National Scene Channel, culture in XXL

The Channel is the National Stage of Calais. The cultural season takes place in vast spaces that were once the city's former municipal slaughterhouses. It is a real place of cultural life, with its bookstore and restaurants which can be visited freely, once you have passed through the gate.    

Former slaughterhouses at the Channel National Scene

The former slaughterhouses of Calais were profoundly transformed into a place of cultural life and entertainment, the Channel, at the beginning of the 2000s. These slaughterhouses date from the XNUMXth century, at the time of the city's population explosion. The portal symbolises the era of the slaughterhouse with its industrial architecture and its modern life as a place of entertainment and culture.

From the entrance, these two atmospheres are obvious, between the 19th century buildings on the right and the colorful marquee at the back of the courtyard. This is where everyone passes, sits, or gathers. People who go to the show, to the restaurant, to have a drink, to the bookstore... or simply to stroll or chat in this place that lends itself to it.  

Visit the Channel National Scene
Front view of the facade of the Channel, Scène Nationale in Calais displaying the town's coat of arms and the engraved sign of the former slaughterhouses. ©Nohcab
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Bookstore and restaurants

Actes Sud is the bookstore as we imagine it! A profusion of books of all kinds, perfectly arranged libraries, tables where you can find the inspiration of the moment…and of course the advice of the booksellers. To buy of course but also to be inspired, to stroll or even to dream…      

No place to live without a restaurant. At the Channel Scène Nationale there are two, depending on your taste: a restaurant or a bistro, for lunch or just a drink. At the Grandes Tables du Channel, regional products are favored, and cooking classes are regularly organized.

The Great Tables of the Channel
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Performance halls

The Channel National Stage is located in former slaughterhouses. This therefore implies large buildings. There are no less than 5 performance halls of different architectures and capacities, of which La Grand Halle is the largest and hosts most of the shows. 

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View of the great Halle du Channel. When the slaughterhouses were still operating, the great hall was used for slaughtering, cutting up and storing meat. The original tiling has survived, the metal columns, previously blended into the architecture, now emphasize the verticality of the space. ©Nohcab

When the slaughterhouses were still in operation, the large hall was used for slaughtering, cutting and storing meat. The original tiling has remained intact, and the metal columns, once integrated into the architecture, now highlight the verticality of the space.

A place with moving architecture

The artist-inventor and designer François Deloziere left a lot of his mark and his aesthetics at the Channel Scène Nationale. For example, he made this old water tower a 22-meter high belvedere to have an overall view of the site. A second courtyard, less busy but subject to amazing photos! The 4 pavilions and their varied architectures have a different role. One cannot help but be amazed by the wall of license plates of the Pavillon des Lettres!

Theatre, music, dance, circus… artistic expressions and live shows are in the spotlight all week long at the Channel Scène Nationale

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