L’Astrolabe is a performance venue managed by the Antirouille association on behalf of the city of Orléans since 1999.
The main missions of this venue dedicated to contemporary music are:
• Presenting contemporary music concerts: Offering the public a diverse and high-quality program (mainstream artists and emerging talents).
• Artistic creation and production: Providing artists with rehearsal spaces on the Astrolabe stage, supporting and mentoring local bands.
• Audience development and cultural outreach projects: Raising awareness among audiences who don't always have access to L’Astrolabe (projects for children, artistic workshops, outreach programs, work with diverse populations, including those with disabilities and incarcerated individuals).
L’Astrolabe comprises two performance spaces and a bar: L’Astrolabe, with a capacity of 620 spectators, and L’Astroclub, with a capacity of 220 people.
Contemporary music is a rather vague term used by the French Ministry of Culture to characterize and group together the various musical styles of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It encompasses six main musical categories:
• Song,
• Jazz,
• Amplified music (French administrative terminology): Rock, Metal, Electronic Music, Pop, Folk,
• Traditional music (if accompanied by modern instruments such as drums or bass guitar). This term is not entirely satisfactory because it implies not "contemporary music" but "contemporary popular music."
• Reggae