10:30
It is in Avignon, the land of France’s largest live performance festival, that Montpellier, candidate city for the title of European Capital of Culture 2028, invited cultural and institutional actors for a day rich in exchanges and debates.
The event provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges of artist mobility, with the presence of Salia Sanou from Mouvements Perpétuels & La Termitière Company, Marie Le Sourd from “On the Move” Network, Gaelle Massicot Bitty from the French Institute, and Malgorzata Szlendak from the European Commission. Through their testimonies and experiences, they were able to provide a concrete mapping of the current situation and envision new perspectives crucial to cultural endeavors.
The concepts of the candidacy – Act, Connect, Celebrate – were presented along with the three artistic themes – water that connect us, serial future, trans? – that shape Montpellier 2028’s programming and try to address contemporary challenges, like youth participation, inclusion of artists from diverse origins and backgrounds. Adèle Charvet, President of the Montpellier 2028 Association, Nicolas Dubourg, Artistic Director of the candidacy, Sophie Léron, General Director of the candidacy, and members of the Montpellier 2028 Board of Directors, along with Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of the City of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Sophie Bejean, Regional Rector of Occitanie and Rector of the Academy of Montpellier, Chancellor of the Universities, Vincent Cavaroc, Director of Tropisme, and Eric Servat, Director of the UNESCO Center, then announced the first edition of the Euro-Africa Biennial in Montpellier, which will take place from October 9th to 15th, 2023, another occasion to build connections and friendship between the two continents.
To conclude, Jérôme Hoffmann offered our guests a suspended moment with a captivating performance centered around the sounds of water, followed by a friendly cocktail inspired by the colors and flavors of the Mediterranean region and Sète’s rich culinary heritage.