12th German-French cultural festival Arabesques Programme 22 January - 18 May 2024
At the beginning of the year, France in the North will once again be on show as part of the arabesques 2024 festival, bringing together German and French artists in over 30 events - from music, film and debates to exhibitions, theatre and literature. With the annual theme "Cœur.Rage.Courage", they will explore the question of what lies behind the concept of solidarity, elicit poetry from reality and look for ways to combine social upheaval with the protection of nature, human rights and peace processes.
About the French-German cultural festival arabesques
The Franco-German cultural festival arabesques was first launched in 2012 by Barbara Barberon-Zimmermann and Nicolas Thiébaud and has taken place every year since then. arabesques always begins on 22 January, the day on which Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer signed the Elysée Treaty on Franco-German friendship in 1963. The name of the festival comes from the Arabic art of ornamentation, in which calligraphic and natural forms create a multi-faceted overall picture. With arabesques, the festival organisers want to enable adults, children and young people to discover at concerts, readings, exhibitions, theatre and film screenings, debates and dance performances how different cultures meet, overcome divisions and find a new common expression. The aim is also to promote interest in the French and German languages and co-operation between France and Germany as a driving force for the peace process in Europe. Based on Franco-German friendship, arabesques looks beyond borders to international issues. The theme, which changes every year, provides a common thread and explores the question of how the fundamental values of a democratic Europe and responsible behaviour towards one another can be lived and protected.
Cœur. Rage. Courage 2024
On the day of the Franco-German friendship marking the signing of the Elysée Treaty, artists will present their programme at the festival opening and the band around singer Caroline Lacaze Rendez-Vous will get you dancing with chanson swing (Levantehaus, 22 January). At the poetry slam on the theme of "Courage - cœur et rage", inspired by Hamburg slammers and authors Luke Monis and Tristan Qi, 10th-grade students from the Deutsch-Französisches Gymnasium Hamburg will present specially composed texts from their workshops. (Theatre hall of the Deutsch-Französisches Gymnasium, 29 January)
Cultural symbiosis: diversity and solidarity
The Arabesques Cultural Festival 2024 celebrates the close cultural ties between Poland, France and Germany as part of the Weimar Triangle. Musicians such as baritone Marcin Hutek and pianist Zuzanna Hutek present enchanting arias by French, German and Polish composers. Film debuts, including Emilie Girardin's "The Last to Leave are the Cranes" and Łukasz Kowalski's "The Pawnshop", shed light on European themes. Chansonnier Jean-Claude Séférian interprets Charles Aznavour, while Julia Korbik provides insights into feminism in a literary evening about her book "Sisters". Theatre, music and exhibitions, such as Les France-Brötchens "Oh pardon, Cupidon!" and a Jean Miotte exhibition, offer cultural diversity. The finale in the Elbphilharmonie with the Ensemble arabesques presents works by Mozart, Beethoven and Holst.
