Arts
From art to open mic and DJ nights, let’s go French for a month
The 7th edition of the French Spring Festival jointly organised by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Alliance Française de Kotte will be held from June 14 – July 14.
Ambassador Jean-Marin Schuh addressing the news conference. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
“Our programme intends to promote culture and French excellence in different disciplines as well as the creativity and artistic exchanges between France and Sri Lanka,” said Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Jean-Marin Schuh addressing the news conference held at the Hilton Hotel to announce the event.
For this very special edition, the French Embassy and the Alliance Française intend to bring the best of French modern culture, to an extended audience, in Colombo and Kandy.
The festival will have an exhibition of photography and sculpture by Marie-Caroline Senlis from June 7 – 14 showcasing a gallery of portraits, misty landscapes, series of coloured blossoming trees, portraits of trees, mystic seas, nature, clouds, Sri Lanka and so much more.
For the French Spring Festival 2018 and to celebrate the Fete de la Musique, special music events open to all are being presented by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka. The public will get to hear the beats of the well-known French DJ Joachim Labrande in the Open Mic and the French DJ Night on June 21 at the Café Francais (Park Street). Labrande will also perform on June 23 at Amaya Hills in Kandy.
Each year, a French street artist comes to express his art on Sri Lankan walls (Park Street in Colombo, Hotels in Kandy and schools in Matara). This year the audience will discover the paintings of Daco from July 4 – 9. He will transmit his passion for graffiti through his wall painting performances and workshops for young audiences in Colombo and Kandy.
The movie “Django” will be screened on July 4 and 11 at Majestic City, a fashion show by LIFT will be held on July 10 at the Hilton Hotel, and author Ashok Ferrey will host a French comics and literature event on June 16 and 19.
Choreographer Thomas Lebran from the French National Choreographic Centre of Tours (CCNT) and the Sri Lankan choreographer Kapila Palihawardana, will pool their talents during a free workshop on July 11. They will share the stage to offer a new show of contemporary dance combining two ballets: “Vannam” by nATANDA followed by “Another Look at Memory” by the CCNT.
The ‘French Comic Book Month’ will be open on June 16 at the Alliance Francaise de Kotte (11, Keppetipola Mawatha, Colombo 5). The Comic Book is an important part of the French cultural heritage. Composed of several descriptive sheets relating the history of the genre and a selection of books, it will be available for one month at the library.
Well known author Ashok Ferrey will present a reading from his book ‘The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons’ on June 19 at 6.30 p.m. at the French Residency. His fifth book, The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons, came out in French last April. It is the first time in 50 years that a Sri Lankan novel by a local writer has been translated and published in France.
Some of the events and performances will be free. Find out more on the Facebook Page “French Spring Festival” and on the website lk.ambafrance.org or www.alliancefrancaise.lk