Avignon, located in Provençe near the Rhône river in the South of France, was once a Greek trading post and dates as far back as the 6th Century B.C.E. In the 2nd Century B.C.E., it became part of the Roman Empire and was designated as a Roman colony by the Emperor Hadrian. Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th Century C.E., Avignon became a base of Christian worship which at that time was Roman Catholic. During the late Middle Ages, from 1378 to 1417,C.E., it was the location of "The Great (Western) Schism", when France's Roman Catholic leadership broke with Rome and established the center of is own Papal power in Avignon's Palais des Papes, i.e., Palace of the Popes.
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| 15th Century miniature of the Palais des Papes and city of Avignon |
Today, evidence of Roman occupation as well as of its time as a Papal City, still exists, even though Avignon has become a charming bustling city filled with eclectic historical architecture spanning various centuries and styles, and well known for its vibrant cultural scene with festivals occurring all year round.
With so much history and cultural arts available, Avignon thoroughly enchanted me when I first visited it almost 30 years ago, and has continued to do so ever since.
Among its annual cultural festivals is Festo Pitcho in April dedicated to families and young audiences, the famous Festival d’Avignon and Festival Off in July, Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon in early August showcasing both emerging and established jazz musicians, Parcours de l’Art in October focusing on contemporary visual artists, the Festival of Comics and Comic Strips in November, the contemporary dance festival Les Hivernales during the early Winter months into the Holiday Season, and the Résonance electro music festival in heritage venues -- to name just a few.
Three of these festivals are highlighted herein below in this article.
Festival d'Avignon, held in July each year, was created in 1947 by a man named Jean Vilar, shortly after World War II. For 17 years, between 1947-1963, the Festival reflected the work of this one man and his vision who is credited with attracting a young captivated and fresh audience through a type of live outdoor theatre encompassing dance, cinematic and musical performances that were different from what could be seen in Paris at that time. His goal was to "renew" theatre and collective forms of art by providing a more open space for their expression and enjoyment.
The result was the revitalization and decentralization of French live theatre which inspired other theatre directors around France outside of Paris in what were then considered "cultural deserts", such as Saint Etienne, Toulouse, Rennes and Strasbourg, to do the same. The Festival d'Avignon became a meeting place for these stage pioneers and at the same time, an eagerly-anticipated annual summer cultural event in France.
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Photo Credit: Cour d'Honneur du Palais des Papes, 2015 © Christophe Raynaud de Lage / Festival d'Avignon |
Parcours de l’Art has been supported by the city of Avignon for almost 30 years, since 1994. The goal of this annual festival is to cultival and support contemporary art and to address all audiences. whether locally-based or from places worldwide, whether new to contemporary art or longtime contemporary art fans -- while paying particular attention to the youngest attendees.
Held in October each year, Parcours de l'Art takes over heritage sites around Avignon in order to present contemporary art works in different forms: paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, videos, installations, performances, and the like. Free access, freedom of movement, and tailor-made mediation encourage dialogue between artists and the public, making the event accessible to everyone. In 2022, the four heritage sites used were the Célestins church, the Cloître Saint-Louis, the Cordeliers chapel and the Maison Jean Vilar.
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| Maison Jean Vilar Avignon heritage site for 2022 Parcours de l'Art Photo credit: Christophe Raynaud de Lage |
Parcours de l'Art creates excitement around current art in the heart of the city through exhibitions but also by offering complementary activities: children's workshops, conferences and debates, readings and film/video screenings.
The theme of the 29th annual presentation of Parcours de l'Art is "Ricochets", being held October 6-22, 2023. Avignon's heritage sites are the showcases for contemporary works selected around the theme of water. At a time when water is becoming a rare and precious resource on Earth, it has come to be a subject that is timely, relevant, "political and poetic, powerful, inspiring, [and] universal". Therefore, Parcours de L'Art's artistic journey in 2023 is built on the Avignon water cartography.
Additionally, for the first time since its inception, Parcours de l'Art is organizing an artist residency in 2023. The original frescoes from this first residency will be placed on the walls of the city of Avignon as this festival prepares for its 30th year in 2024.
Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon, held in annually in August, is a jazz festival featuring young artists. Over the course of an entire week, each evening is devoted to well-known jazz musicians and bands from all around Europe. The location is the Carmes Cloister which provides a setting within stone walls that is conducive to enjoying jazz.
Created 31 years ago in 1992 by a few jazz enthusiasts, the Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon Association, aimed to promote jazz music and support young musicians as part of an annual competition. Thereafter, from year to year, concerts have been organized around this mission.
Over the years Templin Jazz organizers have remained faithful to its objectives: to encourage mixing cultures through the discovery of jazz music, to offer a programming mix of free concerts where the young, European jazz scene competes in talent, and to provide outstanding concerts which present established artists -- all covering a range of jazz styles and spanning the generations.
The venue for Tremplin Jazz d'Avignon is Cloître des Carmes, more commonly called Carmes Cloister, a former monastery consisting of a cluster of buildings which were constructed commencing in 1267 C.E. when the religious Order of the Carmelites came to Avignon. This was approximately 125 years prior to the Great (Western) Schism, and a time when many monasteries were being built in the city. Avignon had become the official residence of the Catholic Popes and the Catholic Church headquarters within the Palais des Papes, both of which had recently moved from Rome to Avignon.
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| Interior courtyeard of Carmes Cloister Photo credit: Christophe Raynaud de Lage |
The Convent itself is outside the first city wall, between the gate of Matheron and the gate of Nurses. The Senate is in the northern part of the Church structure which is in the Romanesque and Gothic architectural style popular in the 13th Century.
Not only is Carmes Cloister the venue for Tremplin Jazz each year in August, but also it was the first site in Avignon in 1967 to become a theatre and dance venue during the Festival d'Avignon discussed herein above. The acoustics within the Medieval stone walls are particularly favourable for live performances, and an open-air stage which extends under the arcades can accommodate approximately 500 spectators.
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(Primary sources and additional photo credits: parcoursdelart.com; Avignon Tourisme; festival.avignon.com; templinjazzavignon.fr; laprovence.com; minube.net)
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