A landmark event for the least known expressions of intangible cultural heritage. An open stage for young artists constantly working on re-creating their own culture. A tribute to the modernity of living traditional cultural art forms around the world. An ongoing effort against stylisation and the uniformization of cultural expressions.
Organized by the Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris, France, the Festival de l’Imaginaire, was established in 1997. It is held each year in spring and features about 15 groups of traditional performing artists (in the fields of dance, music, theatre, ritual perfomances ...), coming from all around the world (Mexico, Japan, India, Ouzbekistan, Marquesas Islands …)
Most of these artists are performing in France for the first time, either to cater to the desires of a new generation of spectators or to introduce new talents to the international scene.
The Festival is held at several wellknown Parisian venues (The Maison des Cultures du Monde, the Amphitheatre of the Opéra Bastille, the Auditorium of the Louvre Museum, the Institut du monde Arabe, the Guimet Museum, etc.) and marshals the energies and enthusiasm of other regional institutions around yet unknown extra-European cultural forms.
The Festival is also a forum for reflection and for debate. Symposiums, round tables, conferences, lecture-demonstrations and other activities highlighting issues of cultural interest or of social concerns, offer new landmarks, thus broadening our vision of the world.
The Festival is funded by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the City of Paris, The French ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Alliance Française. It is also strongly followed and supported by important French media.
In 2006, Chérif Khaznadar entrusted Arwad Esber with the artistic direction of the Festival de l’Imaginaire and appointed her Director of the Maison des Cultures du Monde in 2007. With one foot in western culture and the other in oriental culture, she is particularly sensitive to questions of respect for the right to difference and for cultural diversity.
While observing the founding purpose of the Festival, she wants to develop it further in three main directions :
doing research on unknown expressions of intangible cultural heritage and promoting the transmission of these cultural expressions to new generations.
focusing special attention on countries which have, throughout the years, witnessed the multiplication of its peoples and cultures and presenting the results of such crossbreeding.
seeking artists among the new generations who have been able to recreate their traditions according to their own cultural assets and to produce new creations.
further developing of educational and outreach activities, and the launching of a Master Class program.
