The Festival is the first to put its trust in the technology of start-up DTS, created by two Avignonnais.
The story began with two people from Avignon. Mattéo Boso and Adam Jelila launched their start-up DTS, for "Désinfection-Technologie-Solution", less than a year ago. Their wager: rely on UV-C lamps to eradicate viruses and bacteria.
Inexpensive and environmentally friendly, the technology has been around for over 30 years. Both from the world of theater, they set out to adapt it to performance venues. "The initial idea was to find a solution to the closure of many venues during the pandemic," explains company president Mattéo Boso. The only existing solution for auditoriums was chemical. But disinfecting a large venue is time-consuming and costly. With UV-C light, it's faster, greener and requires no manpower."
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To put it simply, the two partners install small projectors of blue light in the four corners of concert halls. All are controlled from a control unit and touch pad, so that the system can be started and stopped at the click of a button. Motion and door opening detectors are also installed to ensure that no one is inside during disinfection.
"The lights are not carcinogenic, but someone exposed to them for 5 to 10 minutes could develop erythema or conjunctivitis".
Mattéo BOSO
Founder of DTS
5 to 10 minutes to beat the virus
The technology is entirely adaptable. The two founders of DTS adjust the power of their projectors according to the virulence of the virus and the time needed to eradicate it. In the case of Covid-19, UV-C works for five to ten minutes per location to completely disinfect it. No existing pathogen is resistant to UV-C," continues Mattéo Boso. In the event of a new variant, all we have to do is adapt the technology. In the event of a new pandemic, the solution will be immediate. We won't be able to avoid a cluster, but we'll be able to prevent it from spreading, particularly to the next spectators to enter the hall."
It was at a meeting of the French Tech entrepreneurs' network that the Avignonnais met the Festival d'Avignon teams: "Some time later, they told us they were ready to test
our technology! It's a world first. The Madrid Opera tested UV-C light in July 2020, but no festival had yet done so."
Festival Off à Avignon: Camille Claudel, Stefan Zweig and Constance Mayer at the "Les trois raisins" theater
Nine In venues have been equipped: the gymnasium at Lycée Aubanel, Lycée Mistral, Lycée Saint-Joseph, Théâtre Benoît XII, Opéra Confluence, Chapelle des Pénitents blancs, Château de la Barbière, FabricA in Avignon and L'Autre Scène in Vedène. DTS will also be equipping a venue in the Off, the Théâtre des Doms, managed by the Walloon region.
At FabricA, the experiment will even last beyond the Festival, with a permanent installation. This will enable the technology to be tested over the long term, with a view to its eventual development in other locations. Other trials are already underway in hospitals, where UV-C light is said to be effective against all nosocomial diseases." If we take the example of a 25 m² hospital room, one lamp has a lifespan of 108,000 disinfections," explains Mattéo Boso. That's enough to save 27,000 liters of bleach and €21,000."
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