Yan Gilg is a committed artist who refuses to separate culture from society. For him, art is a tool for emancipation, a driver of change, and a medium for transmitting knowledge, memories, and histories. He sees it as a catalyst for hope and struggle.
Since the late 1980s, Yan Gilg has explored various artistic and musical forms rooted in social realities and driven by protest. In the early 1990s, he became actively involved in the cultural development of Strasbourg’s working-class neighborhoods. In 1996, he founded LES SONS D’LA RUE, a platform dedicated to promoting hip-hop culture in Alsace.
In 2006, he created the Compagnie MÉMOIRES VIVES, a multidisciplinary organization focused on producing live performances centered on the histories and memories of immigration.
His work aims to reintegrate into the national narrative those who have contributed to building France—often forgotten or excluded—through their culture, labor, struggles, or knowledge. Artistically, Yan Gilg has developed a distinctive aesthetic by blending rap with theater, giving rise to a unique form: "theater on beat," "theatrical rap," or "urban theater."
Since 2019, he has been leading La FACC, a structure that both pilots and supports the project spanning Strasbourg, Marseille, and Dakar, adapting its governance to the context, phase, and outlook of each location. In Senegal, it supports the creation of FACCTORY – Fabrique d’Entreprise, an initiative moving toward autonomy and self-financing. In 2023, La FACC.fr provided primarily logistical support (equipment donations), as well as training and structural assistance: leadership coaching, professional mentoring, coordinator support, and professional development for artists and entrepreneurs.
Looking ahead to 2025, the next milestone will be the creation of FACCTORY – Fabriques d’Entreprises FR, an association bringing together regional branches (Strasbourg, Marseille, Mantes-la-Jolie, etc.), modeled after its Senegalese counterpart. Its mission: to support the management and development of third places dedicated to entrepreneurship.