From March 16 to 19, 2011, at 8:30 PM in the Fort Carré hall in Antibes, 6 performances with different themes follow one another: children’s show, concert, cabaret, café theater, and comedy are in the spotlight during this week.
A festival created by women, with women, but for everyone!
For 14 years, in March (alongside Women’s Day), the Théâtre de la Marguerite in Antibes has been hosting a festival, Femin’Arte, featuring about forty artists: painters, musicians, actresses, photographers, authors, singers, filmmakers…
The first departmental festival dedicated to female creation
Femin’Arte continues to hunt and discover these women artists, both in France and abroad, who have grace. Like “Madame Je Sais Tout” and “Madame Je Sais Rien” who try to explain ecology humorously to children (Saturday, March 19 at 2 PM – Fort Carré)
Like singer and accordionist Chloé Lacan with her small solitary pleasures, gentle and incisive (Wednesday, March 16 at 8:30 PM – Fort Carré)
Like comedian Juliette Fournis, so caricatured and therefore so close to reality (Thursday, March 17 at 8:30 PM – Fort Carré)
Like actress Anne Tappon and American cabaret artist Amy Gordon who deliver a big blow to prejudices (Friday, March 18 at 8:30 PM – Fort Carré) or like the tender Jane Bred who fearlessly takes on the texts of Raymond Devos (Saturday, March 19 at 8:30 PM – Fort Carré)
Femin’Arte, a week to escape
Is Femin’Arte a militant festival? To this, the organizers respond, yes in spirit and no in form. Their choice? To showcase women in action, as creators, performers, actresses, singers, musicians, dancers. Often with humor.
A bit out of modesty, and paradoxically, a bit out of provocation.
How was the festival born?
Femin’Arte: It started with Festi’Femmes created by Eliane Zayan in Marseille. We had the pleasure of working for several years with her. Then our festival found its own identity, becoming Femin’Arte in 2004. From experience, we know the difficulties female comedians have faced in making their mark, and we won’t dwell on the usual clichés.
So initially, a festival dedicated solely to female comedians, which later included musicians, visual artists, circus performers, filmmakers, etc. Since its creation, the festival has covered all artistic disciplines. The trap to avoid was making this event exclusive. Femin’Arte is a festival made with women, by women, but for everyone! The festive aspect was developed, and the chosen shows are all of great quality and very different from one another.
There are others…
In the department, we saw the birth of “Femmes en scène” in Nice two years ago, but in France, you can also find “Feminitude” in Toulouse, “Impulsions femmes” in Niort, and even further, the “International Festival of the Female Artist” in Parakou in northern Benin, to name just a few.
A time for meeting and conviviality?
Femin’Arte: For artists, Femin’Arte is a privileged meeting moment. Connections are formed. Shows have emerged thanks to the meeting of authors with musicians, visual artists with actresses, like recently the Antibes painter Catherine Jailly who worked on Trinidad’s new show “Le miroir.”
How do you choose your shows?
Femin’Arte: First, we try to have a varied program that mixes different registers. The choice of a program is quite instinctive; we receive press kits, meet comedians, go see shows, browse the internet… like a big puzzle, the pieces slowly come together. A program is created through affinity, love at first sight, recommendations from artists who share our tastes, the pleasure of discovery, and sometimes the desire for provocation.
Also, I don’t link notoriety with quality.
Many artists fill venues thanks to word of mouth, without having the headline status. However, over time, we can say that the Théâtre de la Marguerite has managed to create a climate of trust with the audience. As a reminder, the first Femin’Arte began in our small 45-seat room with Noelle Perna… Florence Foresti!!!
In conclusion?
Femin’Arte: Let yourself be taken by the hand… and as Eric Bouvron, an actor we enjoy programming, says: “Make people laugh! Of course. It’s easy. It’s like making coffee. But how do you want to make them laugh? Strong? Long? With sugar? With milk? Why not a cappuccino?”
At least now, we know that in Antibes, laughter is well-served.
