For almost 10 years, Gautier has been the sound manager and technician at Antre 2, the performance hall located at the headquarters of the University of Lille. He shares with us his experiences and his duties within the university’s performance hall.
‘A labour of love’
Passionate about music and having played in a band since the age of 16, Gautier enrolled in a music school where he learned theory, sound engineering and, thanks to an 8-month internship in Lyon, pursued his desire to become a sound manager. After a professional career in audiovisuals, cinema, student projects and short films, Gautier joined the University of Lille in January 2015. ‘I was called up in December 2014 to replace the sound manager at Antre 2, and in January 2015 I joined the university’, he declares enthusiastically.
‘I like to welcome spectators and make sure they leave with a smile’
Gautier explains that welcoming people is at the heart of what he does on a daily basis.He welcomes theatre companies and musicians and makes sure their requests are ready when they arrive. ‘I become the lighting technician when companies don’t have one’, he reveals. In addition to his welcoming role, Gautier reveals that the ability to adapt is indispensable. ‘You have to know how to react and adapt to a lot of last-minute changes’.
For Gautier, it’s also a job that requires artistic vision. ‘You can’t put technique above artistic expression’, he reveals. Thanks to this artistic vision, his job allows him to look at performances from an outsider’s perspective. ‘I’m the first person to see the artists before they perform at Antre 2, and my role is to advise them so that they feel as comfortable as possible on stage’, explains Gautier.

‘A job that involves technical curiosity’
He explains that in his line of work, you have to go out and look for things, that you have to want to make the material your own, and that you can’t be afraid to try things out ‘That’s how I learned. You learn a lot on the job, it shapes you’, he shares.
Even though he is the only sound manager at this venue, Gautier enjoys helping his colleagues at the university’s other cultural venues. ‘It’s nice to work as part of a team, and I’m enjoying it more and more’, he confides.
Gautier is delighted to have a a job that allows him to pursue his passion for music, discover artists and work in an exceptional venue that he was already familiar with as an audience member. ‘Antre 2 is a pleasant place to work, with good acoustics. I was lucky enough to discover some performances that touched me, such as this one of Lettre aux paysans sur la pauvreté et la paix by Giono in December 2022’, concludes Gautier with a smile.
Find out more about the University of Lille’s cultural venues by clicking on the following link: Culture - University of Lille (univ-lille.fr)