What would be a stay in Provence without its famous summer festivals? Le festival d’Avignon, les Choregies d’Orange our les Rencontres d’Arles are essential. They honor both the cities that host them and the arts represented there, such as theater, opera, and photography. This is the ideal opportunity to discover Provence, but also to visit these cities differently through the courses offered. In addition, it is the opportunity to learn French in another way during your stay in Millefeuille. It is therefore a true linguistic and cultural immersion in Provence that awaits you!
Le festival d’Avignon
One of the most important cultural events in Provence is the Avignon Festival which takes place from July 4th to 29th.
Each year, the city of Avignon becomes the venue for an outdoor theater. This allows the transformation of places usually inaccessible into scenes of a different kind such as the Court of Honor of the Palace of the Popes.
The festival of Avignon includes more than fifty shows and different live arts, French and foreign. Its scale is such that it now brings together more than 3500 performing arts professionals from around the world. It includes plays, film screenings, or exhibitions.
Do not miss the festival “off”
The festival “off” is actually an alternative festival that has developed in protest of the festival of Avignon, at the initiative of André Benedetto. Year after year, this festival continues its expansion to become numerically more important than the official festival, counting more than 1000 shows today. Its originality is found in the artists and companies that accompany it, which they are not necessarily known. In addition, these occur in premises opened by everyone from the moment the security is respected. From the garage to a restaurant or a garden, this is a new experience that awaits you.
In short, it is a place of sharing and learning, with and through the artists. In other words, it is the ideal place for francophiles to discover or rediscover the art of the show in a warm atmosphere, in French. For the students of Millefeuille Provence, 30 minutes by bus and you are there!
https://www.festival-avignon.com/fr/
The Chorégies of Orange
Another art, another must: les Chorégies d’Orange from June 19th to August 6th. It is the oldest opera festival in France, celebrating its 150th edition this year. The Chorégies d’Orange are a reference for lovers of opera and classical music. Every summer, this internationally renowned event attracts 40,000 spectators in an exceptional setting. One of these emblematic scenes is the Orange Theater, built in the 1st century BC, which is endowed with exceptional acoustic quality. The Saint Louis Court and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth are also part of the unique scenes of this festival.
Did you know ? Choregies refer to the duties and obligations attached to the chorege function. The chorege (from the ancient Greek khorêgós) was, in ancient Greece, a rich citizen or a metic (foreign resident in Athens) responsible for recruiting, organizing and training at his expense a dramatic or lyric choir and the extras of shows.
Despite its 150 years, the festival has managed to renew itself. The lyrical art that was omnipresent until then is still present but giving way to novelties such as The Barber of Seville Rossini.
Just 20 minutes by car from Millefeuille Provence, the city of Orange, a vestige of ancient Rome is a must-see destination, especially since since 1981, UNESCO has listed several monuments of Orange to the repertoire of world monuments.
The Rencontres d’Arles
Through more than forty exhibitions installed in various exceptional heritage places of the city, the Rencontres d’Arles contribute each summer since 1970 to transmit the world photographic heritage and are the crucible of the contemporary creation. This year they take place from July 1st to September 22nd.
The particularity of these exhibitions is to present mostly new productions. It is also a springboard for many artists. In addition, the places and scenes chosen for the exhibitions have a particular interest. Indeed, the exhibits presented in various historic places of the city are the subject of a scenography and some historical sites – such as chapels of the twelfth century or industrial buildings of the nineteenth – which are only open to the public for the duration of the festival.
But what makes the richness of the programming is especially the multiplicity of the points of view of experts of different horizons (about twenty each year). It also happens that an artist is entrusted part of the programming as in 2008 with Christian Lacroix, famous fashion designer from Arles.
We went there !
And we would like to highlight three of exhibitions that might interest you :
– La Movida au Palais de l’Archévé : show us the Spanish movement of the 80s, full of hapiness and colorness through the arts.
– Datazone (Philippe Chanzel) à l’Eglise des frères prêcheurs : warn us against the dangers of mondialisation.
– Les murs du pouvoir – barrières bâties par l’homme à travers l’Europe à la Maison des Lices : alarm us about the walls that we never stop bulding despite the existence of Europe and Schengen.
One hour from Millefeuille by car, the city of Arles, especially known for its Roman heritage and Roman has so much to offer.