Why it matters: this 45,000 sq m former Seita tobacco factory has been run since 2007 as a SCIC – a cooperative where every member, from resident artists to the city, gets one vote – and it now houses 70 organisations and 400 artists while drawing 450,000 visitors a year. It is a whole quarter rather than a venue: six performance halls, 2,400 sq m of exhibition space, shared gardens, a bookshop, a creche, a skate playground and an 8,000 sq m rooftop terrace open in summer. Come for an exhibition, then eat at Les Grandes Tables and stay for the roof at sunset. Tip: the Jobin entrance has the ticket office, and much of the site is free to wander – check the day’s programme on arrival.
Good to know
41 rue Jobin (entree Jobin) - 13003 - cooperative arts centre - box office Mon 11am-6pm, Tue-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 1pm-7pm