Chargé.e de diffusion

Distribution Manager: A Profession in Decline?

In the shadow of the artist, their work is rarely acknowledged. If the performance is a masterpiece, it is judged that there is no merit in promoting it; if it’s a flop, it’s assumed they didn’t do enough.
As if that weren't enough, they must navigate environmental, health, and social crises, budgets, the barriers that "protect" programmers, the anxiety of pressured actors, the unavoidable pre-packaged festivals and distribution networks, the specificities and missions of each venue, mastery of social media, and the frustrations of those they persistently approach just to receive a response.
They must be extroverted and autonomous while ensuring they align with the artistic approach and political stance of the company, be good salespeople without appearing to be "snake oil salesmen," quickly detach when they face rejection, and be inventive and creative while settling for a miserable salary. In short, they must be a "gem," a term frequently found in job listings for this role.

Within a company, this is undoubtedly the most demanding and anxiety-inducing job, and also the least protected in terms of artist status, for example.
If this profession is indeed in decline, isn’t it also because that of the programmer, whose mission is to curiously explore artistic production in all its forms, is also disappearing?

Didier Balsaux