In the infernal social chaos imposed by the coronavirus, there are two brave teams, a kind of double village of Asterix, who have just launched – against all odds – their events both scheduled over two weeks.
MARS AUX MUSÉES
Last night, I was in the enchanting setting of the Palais Lascaris, passionately and competently directed by Sylvie Lecat, for the very successful launch of the 19th edition of Mars aux Musées, attended by a large audience (but fewer than 1000!). This is the only true cross-cultural mediation event in Nice (and perhaps in France). Mars aux Musées is co-organized by the EMIC Master students, where I had the pleasure of teaching, and the cultural direction of the city of Nice. The fortnight was officially launched by the student president Jean-Yves Yao (who, along with his vice-president Charlotte Lafay, were both my students in cultural policies) and André Santelli, the director of culture himself. All this with the blessing of the President of the University.
This year, the theme is 8 women: 8 museums, featuring, for the first evening, a tribute to Barbara Strozzi, a 17th-century opera singer. As usual at MAM, there was singing, dancing, music, even karaoke and a Cluedo-style mystery investigation, a playful and relaxed mediation in a magical setting (the syndrome of Belphegor!). Allow me to mention the singer Alienor De Georges and her electronic harp: she was a big hit.
JOURNÉES POËT-POËT
This is the 14th edition of the poetry festival organized in Nice by the company Une petite voix m’a dit. A festival that, year after year, is getting closer to those of Sète and Seville, which are the benchmarks in the field.
And “ideally,” the theme this year is courage, something the small team of the Poëtburo doesn’t lack in their attempt to inject poetry into our brutal world. This year’s star poets are Tarik Hamdan and Pierre Guery, promising encounters.
Another highlight: the public poetry performance “What is it for?” by the artistic director of the organizing company Sabine Venaruzzo on the forecourt of the Nucera library, Saturday the 14th at 2 PM. It will be interesting to see this seasoned poet of major festivals expressing herself within her own Poët-Poët: in fourteen years, it is even a kind of first.
A bit offbeat in their quest for poetry everywhere, the organizers also propose we go to the hairdresser or take a nap in a three-star hotel… but shh, they say it’s supposed to be a surprise!
A personal message to my friend, the dancer Marie-Pierre Genovese who choreographed the second act of my latest play La caresse de Marlène: congratulations on your double programming! Indeed, her fans will be able to applaud her on Monday the 16th at the Entre-Pont as part of Poët-Poët and on Friday the 20th at MAMAC as part of Mars aux Musées.
It is important to pay tribute to these two teams who may have to endure the consequences of the epidemic on their programming but who, through their passion and tenacity, demonstrate to us that culture is an act of humanistic resistance to the ill winds of the world.
