Editing Cherbourg (section)

===Cultural facilities===
[[File:Cherbourg Vox.jpg|thumb|right|The ''Vox'', a former cinema converted into a theatre, depends upon the National Stage.]]

With [[Caen]], Cherbourg-Octeville is the main cultural centre of [[Lower Normandy]].

The city is the seat of several [[Learned society|learned societies]], including the {{Interlanguage link|National Academic Society of Cherbourg|fr|3=Société nationale académique de Cherbourg}} founded in 1755, {{Interlanguage link|National Society of Natural Sciences and Mathematics of Cherbourg|fr|3=Société nationale des sciences naturelles et mathématiques de Cherbourg}} formed in 1851, and the Artistic and Industrial society of Cherbourg, incorporated in 1871.

The creation and dissemination of the performing arts are ensured by the [[Le Trident (theatre)|''Trident'']], {{Interlanguage link|Scène nationale|fr|3=Scène nationale|lt=national stage}} of Italian theatre, the theatre of Octeville and the ''Vox''. Amateur theatre is celebrated by ''Les Téméraires''.

The ''vocation prioritaire du Centre régional des arts du cirque'' [Priority Mission of the Regional Centre of Circus Arts] (CRAC) of La Brèche, opened in October 2006, is the residence of circus troops, but instead also offers programming for the public.<ref name="offreculturelle">{{citation|first=Thierry|last=Dubillot|title=De l'offre culturelle dépend le rayonnement de la ville|language=fr|trans-title=The cultural offer depends on the influence of the city|work=Ouest-France|date=6 March 2008}}</ref> CRAC participates in the festival of street arts, ''Charivarue''.

In addition, the provision of artistic education is rich, with the Film Industry Institute of Normandy, the school of fine arts and the municipal music school, labelled as a conservatory for communal influence, which has 800 registrants.

After the closure of ''Ultrasound'' in [[Équeurdreville-Hainneville]], a unique room of contemporary music of Nord-Cotentin, several associations have come together within the network ''"La Voix des oreilles"'' ["The voice of the ears"] and of the place ''Épicentre'', in the former yacht club on ''Quai Lawton-Collins'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cherbourg.maville.com/Le-projet-de-La-Voix-des-oreilles-voit-le-jour-/re/actudet/actu_loc-535774------_actu.html|title=Le projet de La Voix des oreilles voit le jour|language=fr|trans-title=The project of the Voix des oreilles sees the day|work=Ouest-France|date=17 January 2008|access-date=15 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221002810/http://www.cherbourg.maville.com/Le-projet-de-La-Voix-des-oreilles-voit-le-jour-/re/actudet/actu_loc-535774------_actu.html|archive-date=21 February 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> where the festival ''La Terra Trema'' takes place.

However, the city lacks a large capacity venue, the theatre can accommodate only 700 spectators. After the bitter failure of ''Cherbourg-Land'', this problem has not been resolved at the level of the Cotentin.<ref name="offreculturelle" /> The Great Hall of the Cité de la Mer, with a space for over 6,000 people, has hosted several concerts, but it is primarily dedicated to the organisation of fairs and exhibitions. Today, the main welcoming complex of large-scale concerts is the Jean-Jaurès Centre of Équeurdreville-Hainneville.

Octeville has retained its patronal festival, the Sainte-Échelle, with holiday fair and parades. Cherbourg restarted its carnival in the 1980s, heir of the {{Interlanguage link|Confrérie des Conards|fr}}, similar to that of [[Rouen]] and [[Évreux]].