Doka Productions

The head and arms of the Aravis

Doka Prod is a production company created by two Bornandins, mainly handling the Radio Meuh Circus Festival, but not only… Let’s embark on a journey to discover this wonderful duo of passionate individuals!

We thought it would be nice to see what’s going on across the Danay with our neighbors from Grand-Bornand. A little bit of infidelity to La Clusaz for one morning to discover the behind-the-scenes of Doka Prod with Guillaume Bétemps and Hugo Bosse in their workshop.

Can you tell us about how you met and how the Doka Prod project was born?

Hugo : We met during our association called KGB. No, it’s not the Russian secret services… It was an association from Grand-Bornand: Krew Grand-Bornand. Between 2003 and 2013, we organized freestyle events, ski, snowboard on the snowpark, and night sessions in the village. Guillaume was the president of the association, I was the treasurer. I worked on the technical side, while Guillaume focused on graphics and communication. Over 10 years ago, we decided to join forces and create Doka.

Guillaume : It happened step by step! At first, we each had our own distinct projects, and gradually, we combined them. We still each have a few personal projects, but we try to work together on common topics to bring our respective skills and complement each other.

Hugo :It was actually during the KGB years that we met Phil from Radio Meuh. We had him DJ at one of our events, and that’s how it all started. We got excited about projects for a tent, a festival… and that’s how the Circus story began!

How long have you been working on the Radio Meuh Circus Festival?

Hugo : In 2024, it was the 13th edition! We stopped KGB, and the following year, the Circus had its big debut.

Guillaume : One story ended, and another one began.

Hugo : Since then, we spend half of the year in La Clusaz with the Circus and the other half in Grand-Bornand, where we focus on other projects.

Guillaume : Yes, we’ve worked on projects like La Source and Granborama in Grand-Bornand, with the Grand Annecy area, and also in Morzine. We stay local, and it suits us quite well. We’re a small team, just the two of us working full-time.

Hugo : We also hire a lot of people throughout the year, including quite a few freelancers for events. For the Circus, there are about fifty people involved. But when it comes to day-to-day organization, it’s better with just the two of us!

The Circus is therefore the event that takes up the most of your time. Do the other events spread throughout the year?

Hugo : I work on the Biathlon World Cup in Annecy-Le Grand-Bornand in December, but that’s not every year. Then, there’s the Cosmo Jazz music festival in Chamonix, which takes place in July. Guillaume also works on a ski event in the winter. After that, we have projects linked to cultural establishments. We support organizations that want to develop year-round projects. So, we don’t just do event planning, we also assist with the cultural project development side. For example, for La Source in Grand-Bornand, we were tasked with setting up playful spaces.

What is your organization like for the Radio Meuh Circus Festival?

Hugo : Phil (the creator of Radio Meuh) handles the artistic programming. We focus on the organizational side. Guillaume is in charge of partnerships, writing reports, researching grants, and communication materials. He also coordinates with the artist who creates the poster for the next edition. As for me, I handle the logistical organization: technical service providers, setting up the ticketing system, creating offers with La Clusaz, accommodation packages…

Guillaume : Now it really doesn’t stop. Before, we used to take a little break in the summer, but we realized that in order to improve the organization and evolve the festival, that was no longer possible. Otherwise, you end up with an edition identical to the previous year… In terms of rhythm, we already start reaching out in September. In November, we launch the visual, followed by the opening of ticket sales in December. The following months are dedicated to promotion to sell tickets, but also to logistics for setting up. From January/February, it becomes real with the validation of schedules and recruitment. March is really intense. We are a small team that grows as preparations progress, for an event that’s also growing.

Hugo : This year (2024 edition), we hosted about 9,000 people over the 4 days of the festival. We can’t really expand much due to the space available at the Salon des Dames, but we’ve done some work to gain a little more room with the tent. However, we know we won’t be able to grow much further. The festival won’t explode like some others, but that’s what makes it unique. It remains intimate in a way, and that’s what we love!

Guillaume : We’re focusing more on developing other aspects, beyond the tent, bringing some fun ideas to life. We’re exploring new alternatives by investing in new venues, like the Church, for example, with an electronic meditation this year. It was the first time in 2024, and the festival-goers showed up in full force.

Hugo : We also developed a project with the La Clusaz Harmonie Orchestra: the “électropening,” and another one involving the children from the village school. We try to have projects with them throughout the year, offering activities like music workshops and typography interventions as well.

Guillaume : Yes, we did typography workshops this winter with the CM2 students, and it was great. Phil also came to explain his journey, how he was once in their shoes at school, and now his job is to choose music, play it, and organize a festival. The kids were really impressed. It was quite emotional in a way, because all the children knew Radio Meuh and the festival. It’s really important to us that there is a sense of local connection, a link where people take ownership, and in La Clusaz, everyone gets involved and feels like part of the festival.

Discover the Radio Meuh Circus Festival 2025 edition

And the Akavaka, what’s that all about?

Hugo : The Akavaka is a project that was born around the same time as the festival. Since we’ve been involved in street performance, the idea was to create a performance machine that represents us and the mountains here, the Grand-Bornand, the cow, and Radio Meuh—it just made sense. At the time, we found an old Acadian van in a barn in Grand-Bornand, and we had it dressed up by the village saddler, transformed and customized into a cow. Since then, we’ve been taking it to various events. It even made an appearance at the opening of the Alpine Ski World Cup in Sölden, Austria. It’s also been to the Circus, the Pestacles du Père Noël, and the Carnival in La Clusaz. It’s still around—it’s kind of our mobile disco.

And what about the upcoming projects?

Hugo : The Circus, of course, then I’m heading to Cosmo Jazz in Chamonix this July. We are also working with ski resorts to develop playful spaces on the slopes, offering new winter activities. We’d love to expand the Source project to other destinations, with no seasonal limitations. We’re collaborating on this with educational teams specializing in free play and recreational activities.

Is there more to your world than just music?

Guillaume : We try to have a wide scope of action. But it’s the same skills that come into play! It’s about creating projects, taking an idea from start to finish, and adding value – it’s really stimulating! Beyond the nature of the projects, collaborating with other people makes our work very enriching. Sometimes when we’re in our mountains, we can be a bit isolated. That’s why it’s important to have connections with artists or companies from other backgrounds, because the mountains are even more beautiful when they are nourished from the outside.

Hugo : By the way, in three years, it will be the 20th anniversary of Radio Meuh… We’re already thinking of projects to mark the occasion, it’s an age worth celebrating!