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The Festival of Avignon
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Famous for its iconic bridge, the pretty town of Avignon in the south of France becomes a creative hub of contemporary culture in July, as it hosts the Festival D'Avignon. Founded in 1947 by theatre veteran Jean Vilar, this annual arts festival show-cases contemporary drama and dance from France and around the world, most of which have never been seen before. This is one of France's oldest independent festivals, drawing an audience of around 100,000 theatre-lovers, with an extensive programme curated by a different associate artist each year, and is the perfect excuse to visit Avignon, a historic town surrounded by the scenic beauty of Provence. Cutting-Edge Theatre |
2009 is the 63rd Avignon festival, and the programme this year looks set to be the most diverse yet. The festival's associate artist is Lebanese playwright and director Wajdi Mouawad, who decided on 'the world in turmoil' as the programme theme.
The pieces are inspired by recent events such as the deaths in Gaza, the current economic crisis youth protests in Greece and the election of Barack Obama. With performers from all over the world, speaking languages from Polish to Arabic, and cinema and documentary on the programme this year, this is a great year to experience this lively festival.
A With all this going on, July is the perfect time to visit Avignon and soak up summertime in Provence. Crowds of festival workers, traveling performers, eager visitors and friendly locals bring a festive atmosphere to the cobbled city streets. The bars and cafés echo with lively chatter about the latest performance by day, and are packed out with post-theatre parties by night.
A Bargain Cultural Break Unlike many art festivals, you can easily sample some cutting edge culture in Avignon on a budget. The audience only pay for each performance so can pick whatever they want to see from the programme, with reduced rates for the under-25s. Avignon is also an animated student city, so there are plenty of bars and venues for gigs and a cheap drink, and a huge Food Market selling delicious Provencal delicacies and fresh produce for bargain prices. Accommodation books up quickly during festival time, so for budget rooms check out the range of Avignon Hostels online before you travel. Accommodation ranges from cheap hotels in the city center to beautiful guesthouses in rural stone villages.