FRENCH CHRISTMAS MARKET

Saturday 3 December
From 10.00am to 4.00pm

In need of ideas for your Christmas presents?

The 4th French Christmas Market will be held at the Alliance Française on Saturday 4 December.
You will love its cheerful and cosy atmosphere.
Escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy some tasty food from our delicatessen with a warming hot drink.

Our stands will be selling an array of Christmas presents including jewellery, children’s books, Christmas hampers and French products.

So whether you're looking for that special gift, a seasonal snack or simply looking for some festive atmosphere, the Alliance Française Christmas Market 2010 is the perfect place for yuletide cheer with a beautiful French touch.

Admission free
La Cocotte – Alliance Française

Wanderings in France by Joe Sterling

Photography Exhibition


2 December 2011 – 18 February 2012
(Opening Thursday 1 December at 6.30pm)


Wanderings in France is a series of photographs taken between 1980 and 2011. The pictures were taken in various locations throughout France and celebrate the cultural diversity of everyday life there, with each region having its own individual identity, customs and rituals - all totally unique and existing simultaneously. This eclectic mixture of images will inform the viewer of the beauty and remoteness of some of these regions. Geographical boundaries, like the Pyrenees Mountains, isolated many of these communities for generations. These regions were really only brought together after the French revolution and divided into Departments in 1790 when a centralised government in Paris tried to bring all the regions of France together under one flag, speaking one language.

It is difficult to imagine that France, as the country we know today, was composed of many different regions with totally different climates and geography. Many of the languages spoken were a direct consequence of residing close to neighbouring countries. Commerce and trade between these regions also had an influence on language, customs, and the social norms. Flemish was spoken in the North of France, Breton in the West, while in the South West some regions were influenced by Spain. In the North East and East, France is bordered by Germany, Switzerland and Italy, all of which contribute to the rich diversity of culture and cuisine.

Joe Sterling has been Course Coordinator of Photography in Sallynoggin College of Further Education [1989-2011]. He has exhibited in numerous group shows and solo exhibitions over the past thirty years and is very involved in the “photo scene” in Ireland.

Following a BA (Hons) in Documentary Photography from University of Wales College Newport in 1999 Joe Sterling studied in Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design for his HND in Design for Communications in 1980. He was awarded an MFA in Documentary Photography by University of Wales College Newport in 2008 and he has also been a visiting Lecturer in University of Wales and University of Ulster, Belfast Campus.

Admission free
Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 8.30am-6.30pm / Friday: 8.30am-5pm / Saturday 8.30am-2pm
Alliance Française, 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé !

Come and celebrate the arrival of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau with friends and colleagues and discover le cru 2011 in the wonderful setting of The Vaults. Enjoy a festive evening with a fashion show, music, regional food (cheese and charcuterie) to accompany the wine tasting, make new friends and dance the night away with our French DJ!

Presented by the Alliance Française and the Ireland France Chamber of Commerce with the support of Geodis. In the presence of H.E. Emmanuelle d’Achon, Ambassador of France to Ireland.

Thursday 17 November
7.00 – 9.30pm. Bar open for business until 11.30pm
€40 / €30 AF & IFCC members
Tickets online or at Reception

The Vaults
Harbourmaster Place, Dublin 1

2nd Photography Award Competition

2ND AF PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD COMPETITION
Submissions deadline is December 1st 2011

After last year success, submissions are being sought again from artists working in Ireland with a particular interest in photography, for an new exhibition in the spring 2012 inspired by the particular multi-use context of the our Gallery which is also a café space. Artists will be shortlisted by the Advisory Committee of the Gallery of the Alliance Française and from this exhibition a winner will be selected.
In 2011, Joby Hickey, Doreen Kennedy, Roseanne Lynch & Jean-Luc Morales were selected to exhibit at the AF and our first Award was given to Roseanne Lynch. See the details here.Prize: Return flights to Paris provided by the Alliance Française Dublin for a two week stay in 2012 at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, sponsored by the Centre Culturel Irlandais, and a €500 grant, sponsored by the Ireland Fund of France. In addition, should the winner not be a French speaker, the prize will include a French course at the Alliance Française Dublin prior to the trip.

Download form

2ème concours de photographie
La date limite pour soumettre votre candidature est le 1er décembre 2011 alors ne perdez pas de temps !

Après le succès du concours de l’année dernière, les candidatures sont à nouveau ouvertes pour les artistes qui travaillent en Irlande avec un intérêt particulier pour la photographie. Nous organiserons une nouvelle exposition au printemps 2012 dans notre galerie qui sert aussi de café. Les artistes seront sélectionnés par le Comité de la Galerie de l’Alliance Française et un gagnant sera désigné.
En 2011, Joby Hickey, Doreen Kennedy, Roseanne Lynch et Jean-Luc Morales ont étéselctionnés pour exposer leurs œuvres à l’Alliance et notre première récompense a été remportée par Roseanne Lynch.
Pour plus de détails, cliquez ici.
Le prix : Vols aller-retour vers Paris fourni par Alliance Française Dublin pour un séjour de deux semaines en 2012 au Centre Culturel Irlandais à Paris, commandité par le Centre Culturel Irlandais, et une subvention de 500 euros commanditée par the Ireland Fund of France. De plus, si le gagnant ne parle pas couramment français, il se verra offrir un cours français à l’Alliance Française Dublin avant son voyage.

Téléchargez le formulaire ici

Exhibition People of the Sea - Gens de la mer

The Alliance Française Dublin and Veolia Environnement
In partnership with Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh County Cork and The West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, West Cork
present

People of the Sea - Gens de la mer

Photographs by Gilles Perrin
Exhibition opens Thursday 6 October at 6.30pm in the presence of H.E. Emmanuelle d’Achon

7 October – 26 November 2011

The Alliance Française, Dublin in partnership with The Sirius Arts Centre and West Cork Arts Centre present “People of the Sea” an exhibition of documentary photographs of the Irish Fishing industry by French photographer, Gilles Perrin. These large format black and white images capture the lives of people working in maritime industries around the Cork coastline. Gilles Perrin selected his subjects by visiting harbours and piers in locations such as Cobh, Baltimore, Schull and Castletownbere through the Artist in residency programme at Sirius Arts Centre and later by a similar residency position at the West Cork Arts Centre which took place over a few months in 2007 & 2008.

The photographs which comprise People of the Sea create a valuable document for Ireland illustrating and recording the lives of the families whose work has a history with the sea and make up this long standing vital tradition in Ireland's heritage. The images are made by a large format camera utilizing long exposure times; the resulting large negatives allow tiny details to be viewed with extreme clarity. Often Perrin presents his work as diptychs and triptychs to reveal the full panoramic landscape of the subjects he photographs.

Gilles Perrin is based in Paris, France and has a Master’s Degree in photography. For over 30 years Gilles has photographed extensively with large format cameras (4x5 and 8x10 inches). His passion for photography has taken him to Africa, Tibet, Finland, India, China, Peru and throughout Europe. His work has been exhibited in Japan, China, Syria, Egypt, USA and Europe. “People of the Sea” was first exhibited in 2010 at Sirius Arts Centre and West Cork Arts Centre and is the result of artist residencies with these organisations in 2007 and 2008.

The photographs were printed in Cork at iophotoworks by Tony O’Brien whose kind support is greatly appreciated. It was also made possible in part through art grants from Cork County Council and the Arts Council, Gilles’ wife, Nicole Ewenczyk, was also a key figure in the making of these images. For more information on Gilles Perrin please visit his website at: http://gilles-perrin.com. Gilles Perrin will be present at the opening of this exhibition.



WCAC and Sirius Arts Centre acknowledge the financial support of the Arts Council in making this exhibition possible.

Alliance Française de Dublin
1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2
Monday-Thursday: 8.30am-7.30pm
Friday: 8.30am - 5.00pm
Saturday: 8.30am to 2pm

OPEN DAY / Porte Ouverte

Open Day at the Alliance!Saturday 17 September
10am – 2pm

You are invited to the Alliance to experience the full range of what we have to offer! Come on your own or with children and friends and have fun while exploring our many activities.

* Meet our teachers
* Test your level of French
* Try our toddler programme A petits pas
* Learn more about our bilingual programmes for kids
* Try our workshops for kids and adults
* Get information about our diplomas for professionals
* Find out about our Primary School classes
* Learn about our Corporate Classes
* Free tour of our French library & book sale
* Practise your French accent
* Taste some good French wines
* Experience French Cuisine at La Cocotte
* Get a special Membership rate on the day
* Sing along with our French choir
* Discover regions of France
* And… be in with a chance to win in our raffle!


We are wainting for you!


Alliance Française : 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2


Vous êtes intéressé par les activités de l'Alliance Française? Vous avez des questions à nous poser? Vous voulez simplement passer un agréable samedi en notre compagnie?

L'Alliance Française organise une journée Porte Ouverte le samedi 17 septembre de 10h à 14h[u].
Situés au 1, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, nous vous proposons de:
* Rencontrer nos professeurs,
* Tester votre niveau de français,
* Vous renseigner sur les cours des tout petits, des enfants, des ados ou des adultes,
* Pratiquer votre accent français,
* De participer à des jeux de société,
* De tenter votre chance à la Tombola,
* Goûter de bons vins français,
* Déguster ce que vous proposera notre restaurant La Cocotte
* Devenez membre avec de nombreux aventages et une offre spéciale pour l'occasion
* Et plein d'autres choses encore!

Alors ne manquez pas cet évènement exceptionnel

Nous vous attendons!

Bastille Day Celebration

Wednesday 13 July at 8.30pm
The Alliance Française in association with Musiclee.ie presents: Bastille Day Celebration. Featuring Cajun and Country band from South Louisiana L'Angélus.
There is a new wind blowing in South Louisiana music and it's called L'Angelus. Talented, original, yet tradition based. With roots in both Cajun and Country. To hear them play is a pleasure. To hear them sing is a joy. I am a fan." ~Zachary Richard
"L'Angélus is the epitome of organic family music. "L'Angélus" translates to me as "angelic voices" with the instrumental energy of a freight train that knows no boundaries. Apart from the fact that these kids are so in sync with one another the magic of their music more than touches your heart......it pierces your heart then sweeps you away. The joy of music is L'Angélus 'raison d'être'." ~Michael Doucet dit BeauSoleil

Whelans’ , Wexford Street, Dublin 2.
Tickets : €15 /€12 for AF members at Alliance Française reception desk on production of Membership card.

Let’s Walk and Talk! "Ça marche !"

Come and join us for a stroll and a chat… in French!
Within the framework of Dublin City Council’s community initiative, Let’s Walk & Talk, “Ça marche !” is a great way for everyone to stay healthy, meet other people and practise French!
Join us every Friday between 10 June and 15 July at 2pm. The walks last an hour and a half.
All Welcome! Bring your smile, your umbrella and your few or many words of French! And make sure to be on time!
Meeting point: Outside the Alliance Française, 1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Organised in partnership with Dublin City Council.

Friday 10, 17 & 24 June
from 2 to 3.30pm
Free
More information:
www.letswalkandtalk.ie

Matisse exhibition - Exclusive Tour

The Art Books of Henri Matisse presented by the Chester Beatty Library features four of Matisse’s most artistically significant artists’ books from the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Collection, including the famous Jazz. Matisse’s Poèmes de Charles d’Orléans, inscribed from the artist to Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, and a copy of Matisse's illustrated version of James Joyce's Ulysses, both from the Library's own collection, are also on display.
On this occasion, the Alliance Française offers you the possibility of an exclusive guided tour with Dr. Jill Unkel, the curator of the exhibition, to learn more about this French artist. The visit will be followed by Moroccan delights and tea/coffee at the Silk Road Café. The guided tour, which will last between 30 and 40 minutes, is limited to 12 people. Register now!

Wednesday 8 June - 3pm
€10 / AF members €7
Online registration available
Deadline: Monday 6 June

A wind of French swing is forecast for Dublin from 16 June to 25 June 2011

Get ready for the sixth edition of the Let’s French… Festival of French Music!
7 days of concerts and screenings around Dublin with a wide selection of French music from the most contemporary Folk and Pop to the famous French Chanson!

The festival opens on Thursday 16 June at the Mercantile with the performance of Stranded Horse, a French artist who brings a dreamlike quality to his acoustic melodies and vocals.

On Saturday 18 June, a special “Basque evening” takes place at Dublin Castle with Alegera, a brass band from Bidart (Biarritz) flown in for the occasion. The event celebrates Basque Culture through its traditional music and typical food and drink from the region with a free tasting.

On 19 and 20 June, the IFI presents two one-off special screenings of French films in which music and rhythm play a very central role: Rubber by Quentin Dupieux and Les chansons d’amour by Christophe Honoré.

The South William welcomes Amsterdam Beat Club on Tuesday 21 June, the date of “la Fête de la musique”, for an unforgettable night with an un-beat-able Cocktail of the very best Vintage Music from Swingin' Sixties Sounds to Ska music!

The Alliance Francaise opens its doors on Thursday 23 June for a unique concert of French chanson with the famous singer Agnès Bilh – a musical Trip to France guaranteed!

And finally, to close the festival, Let’s French is proud to present two singers representing the “nouvelle scène française” at the Village on Saturday 25 June. The evening begins with the performance by Claudine Muno and The Luna Boots followed by Tété, one of the most prolific Pop/Folk French singers of the last ten years. This is his first performance for a Dublin audience…A show not to be missed.

For more information about the booking, the price of the tickets, etc. please visit our website: http://www.lets-french.ie/

Recital of Reynaldo Hahn’s songs with the Royal Irish Academy of Ireland

Wednesday 25 May at 7pm




The Royal Irish Academy of Music in association with the Alliance Francaise Dublin present "L’Heure exquise", a concert celebrating the music of Reynaldo Hahn.

Devised by the award-winning pianist Marek Ruszczynski

The songs of Reynaldo Hahn may not be as popular as those of other French musical giants but they certainly deserve to be brought to the attention of music lovers. The sublime taste and sensibility of this unique and much-loved composer enabled him to create true jewels in the field of song-making during the period of modernism. L’Heure exquise provides Dublin audiences with the opportunity to experience ephemeral beauty and charm. Balancing deliciously on the verge of light and the profound, this evening of music-making will offer an unforgettable insight into the Parisian salon from the times of the fin de siècle.

Anna Brady, soprano
Laura Murphy, mezzo-soprano
Patrick Hyland, tenor
Benjamin Russell, baritone
Alexander Bernstein and Nadene Fiorentini, piano


Admission Free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

"Dance Expression", Portraits by Peggy Jarrell Kaplan from 17 May to 24 June

Dance Expression, by the New York-based photographer, Peggy Jarrell Kaplan, features portraits from 1986 to 2011 that relate to the history of French contemporary dance, the 2011 Dublin Dance Festival, and dance in Ireland. Kaplan has been photographing performing artists who explore new dance forms for more than three decades and has compiled a collection that represents almost all those choreographers that have come to define contemporary dance today.

Working within the tradition of black and white classical portraiture, Kaplan approaches dance obliquely, conveying qualities related to performance, but without reproducing it. Intense close-ups incorporate their own drama and implied corporeal energy. Kaplan sees the photographic studio as a small stage and questions the relevance of sincerity in our digital age.

Peggy Jarrell Kaplan has exhibited her portraits in international dance festivals and at performing arts venues in Europe, North America, and South America. She has a long association with French dance including exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou and at the French Institute Alliance Française in New York. Other series include a history of Japanese dance and underground visual artists from the Soviet Union. Her portraits of Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Pina Baush, William Forsythe, and Merce Cunningham have been widely reproduced. Her work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and The Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The French writer, Jean-Marc Adolphe, has written of her work: In the reciprocal touch of the face and the image, the passion of the portraitist meets the passion of the choreographers.

This exhibition is part of the Dublin Dance Festival and will run from 17 May to 24 June in the Gallery of the Alliance Française.

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 8.30am - 7.30pm; Friday: 8.30am - 5.pm; Saturday: 8.30am - 2pm

CHILDREN’S BOOK LAUNCH - "Mon Carnet de voyage en Irlande" by Aurore Finlay and Eglantine Bonetto

Saturday 14 May from 11.30am to 1.30pm


After London, Paris and Madrid, Jo comes to Ireland with Mon carnet de voyage en Irlande.
This special green guide is filled with practical information, stories and puzzles. Children will have great fun interacting with this book, while learning all about Ireland.
Aurore Finlay (writer and teacher at the Alliance Française Dublin), aided by Eglantine Bonetto (illustrator), will help you through this wonderful journey.
Collection « Jo et moi autour du Monde » Editions Sikanmar. www.joetmoi.com

Admission free - No booking is required
Venue: Alliance Française - 1, Kildare Street - Dublin 2

LITERATURE NIGHT – Murder in the City organised by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature and Eunic

Wednesday 11 May at 6.30pm




Dublin UNESCO City of Literature invites you to discover exciting contemporary European writers in the intimate surrounds of the Sugar Club, Leeson Street. Enter the murky world of crime and murder as writers from the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy and Scotland read and discuss their works. An atmosphere of suspense and intrigue will be created by musicians from the Dublin Institute of Technology. Crime journalist and writer, Niamh O’Connor, will introduce this exhilarating cast of contemporary crime-writing talent.
On this occasion, the Alliance Française Dublin will introduce Pierre-Olivier Lombarteix whose book Runes is about murders in Dublin.

Admission free - No booking is required.
More information on: www.dublincityofliterature.ie, tel: 01 674 4862, email: catherine.duffy@dublincity.ie
Sugar Club – 8, Lower Leeson Street – Dublin 2

Board Games Evening: French-speaking Culture Quiz

Wednesday 11 May at 7.30pm





The Médiathèque at the Alliance Française Dublin opens its doors once again from 7.30pm to 9pm for a games evening: a quiz about French-speaking culture!
You will discover, or re-discover, games in French such as Pictionary, Tabou, Cranium, and many more.
The games will be adapted so that they are accessible to all learners of French, whatever their level. It will be an opportunity to speak French but also to discuss French-language culture (film, literature, history and current affairs) through the game.
The evening is open to adults at all levels in French

In the library – AF members only – limited to 12 players
Admission free – RSVP: library@alliance-francaise.ie or 01 638 1443

Roseanne Lynch, winner of the 1st Alliance Francaise Photography Award Exhibition

1st Alliance Française Photography Award Exhibition
30 March – 11 May 2011
JOBY HICKEY - DOREEN KENNEDY - ROSEANNE LYNCH - JEAN-LUC MORALES

Four artists, Joby Hickey, Doreen Kennedy, Roseanne Lynch and Jean-Luc Morales, were shortlisted among 40 applications to exhibit for the 1st Alliance Française Photography Award Exhibition. The first photography prize was announced at the opening of the exhibition on by Claire Bourgeois, Director of the Alliance Française.
Roseanne Lynch was selected by the Gallery Committee as the winner of the 1st Alliance Française Photography Award as the panel found the work of Roseanne Lynch to be visually intriguing, formally dynamic and beautifully constructed.

She receives a return flights to Paris for a two-week stay in the Centre Culturel Irlandais, a €600 grant sponsored by Ireland Fund of France, a one-to-one professional tutorial on how to prepare raw RGB photographic image files for fine art lithographic printing sponsored by Vermillon Design and a French course at the Alliance Française Dublin prior to the trip.

The exhibition is still running at the Alliance Francaise until 11 May.
Admission free - Opening hours: Mon-Thurs: 8.30am-7.30pm; Fri: 8.30am - 5.pm; Sat: 8.30am to 2pm

BOOK LAUNCH - Les Oeuvres complètes de Molière (Gallimard - La Pleiade)

Wednesday 20 April at 6.30pm

BOOK LAUNCH
Les Oeuvres complètes de Molière (Gallimard)

Presented by Edric Caldicott (Emeritus Professor of French at UCD and member of the Pléiade editorial team)

In continuous publication since 1660, whether in pirated or legal form, or in individual or collective editions, the work of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (1622-73), known to the world as Molière, has always excited admiration mixed with controversy. Unlike Corneille and Racine, his illustrious contemporaries, he was also an actor, assumed to attach more importance to the performance of his thirty-one plays than to their published form – which is perhaps why he was afflicted in his own lifetime with so many illegal editions of his work. Unknown to subsequent scholars, or perhaps just ignored, his protests against literary piracy failed to secure for him the privilege of his own edition of his own complete works. In this respect his fate is not unlike that of Shakespeare whose Folio and Quarto editions have, until the work of Lukas Erne, created deep controversy with regard to their bibliographical authenticity.

It was in this context, and to address these issues, that Georges Forestier, Claude Bourqui, Edric Caldicott, and Anne Piéjus signed a contract with Gallimard in 2003 to produce a new edition of Molière’s works in the Collection de la Pléiade.

Presentation in English. Q & A in French and English.
Admission free – In the library – RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

“Sorry!” by Pierre Byland, Paddy Hayter and Footsbarn Theatre

From Thursday 7 to Thursday 21 April at 7.30pm (and 3pm at the week-ends)
THEATRE & CIRCUS

Join us for a special family afternoon on Saturday 16 April 2011! The show will begin at 3pm and a snack for children will follow the performance.

Footsbarn Travelling Theatre celebrates its 40th birthday with a triumphant return to Ireland. Their Spiegeltent will be moving into the Point Village at the start of April where they will perform their new show “Sorry!”.

“These guys are probably the best travelling theatre company in the world and it is great to see them coming back to Ireland,” explained Harry Crosbie, Chairman, The Point Village. “When they called to see whether we would be able to host them at the Point Village I didn’t have to think twice about it.”

“Sorry!” involves not only the Footsbarn production team but also Pierre Byland, the famous Swiss clown-actor and former teacher from the Lecoq school, and the Cirque Werdyn, a gypsy horse circus.

“This is not your typical stuffy play,” explains Paddy Hayter, Footsbarn Theatre Company. “As the undertakers hold a funeral for a famous composer, a family of gypsies arrive to celebrate a wedding, all in the same place. From ill fated attempts at cohabitation to open warfare, the two sides attempt to cope with this unfortunate double booking. With a plot like that you know you are in for a show like no other.”

You won’t find another show in Ireland this year that features clowns and undertakers, actors and tractors, corpses and horses and theatre and circus. Despite being 40 years old, Footsbarn Travelling Theatre has lost none of their energy or invention.

With the support of the Alliance Française Dublin, the Cultural Service of the French Embassy and L'Institut Français

At Point Village, in the Footsbarn tent - For further information, please contact: 086 732 67 56

Adults €20
Children €10 / Children under 6 free
Concession tickets [students, unwaged or senior citizens (60+)] €15
Family pack (4 people) – 2 adults and 2 children €50
Family pack (5 people) – 2 adults and 3 children €60
Tickets for sale on www.tickets.ie/footsbarn

For school group bookings or group booking queries, please email Paul: paul@footsbarn.com.

Screening of Vipère au poing - Franco-Irish Literary Festival

As a prelude to the Franco-Irish Literary Festival, the Alliance Française and the French Embassy have the pleasure of offering you the chance to attend a screening of the French film Vipère au poing, Philippe de Broca’s adaptation of Hervé Bazin’s novel. The film will be introduced by UCD Lecturer Dr Laurent Marie.

At the Irish Film Institute on Tuesday 5 April at 6.30pm.
Admission free but ticketed.
To book your ticket please contact the IFI box office: 01 679 3477

1ST ALLIANCE FRANCAISE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD EXHIBITION (30 March - 11 May)

FROM WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH TO WEDNESDAY 11 MAY
1ST ALLIANCE FRANCAISE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD EXHIBITION
With Joby Hickey, Doreen Kennedy, Roseanne Lynch and Jean-Luc Morales


Four artists, Joby Hickey, Doreen Kennedy, Roseanne Lynch and Jean-Luc Morales, were shortlisted to exhibit for the first Alliance Française Photography Award Exhibition.

Joby Hickey : Urban images and the impact of streetscapes on the eye form the basis of his work “Cities: Dublin–Paris; Paris–Dublin”. Urban images and the impact of streetscapes on the eye form the basis of his work “Cities: Dublin–Paris; Paris–Dublin”. He made his own camera on through a special process generated a unique perspective.

Doreen Kennedy: Her work “Flower Bed” was initially a photo based installation. 6" x 4" c-type photographic prints on wooden sticks were installed as part of the Sculpture in Context Exhibition, The National Botanic Gardens, in Dublin in 2009.

Roseanne Lynch’s areas of exploration are the recurring themes of light, truth, perception, representation, uncertainty and the understanding held within the unknowing. In her work “ Document”, she is creating a space where the viewer is allowed to become aware of their own presence.

Jean-Luc Morales : His work “Tokyo People”, printed following a platinum printing technique, is based loosely around the notion of capturing, in movie-stills format, the stories of individuals who form the human pulse moving through the Tokyo metropolis. The atmosphere is grey, urban and anonymous.

With the kind support of Ireland Fund of France, Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and Vermillon Design.

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday: 8.30am-7.30pm; Friday: 8.30am - 5.pm; Saturday: 8.30am to 2pm
Admission free

Concert by the DIT Chamber Choir

Wednesday 30 March at 8pm


The DIT Chamber Choir, conducted by David Brophy, comprises full-time music students of the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and performs a diverse repertoire ranging from 16th century madrigals to contemporary music. The DIT Chamber Choir has established itself on the competition circuit, twice winning first prize in the Cork International Choral Festival Chamber Choir Competition. It has performed in the National Concert Hall on many occasions and in various other leading venues.

DIT Chamber Choir conducted by David Brophy will give a special concert to celebrate Francophonie.

Programme
Berlioz La mort d’Ophélie
Saint-Saëns Quam dilecta Op. 148
Fauré Tantum ergo Op. 55
Fauré Requiem Op. 48

50 mins without an interval
Admission free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie
Venue: St. Stephen’s Pepper Canister Church - Mount Street Crescent - Dublin 2

Table Quizz for Teens

Friday 25 March 7.30pm



The Alliance Française is pleased to invite 4th, 5th and 6th year secondary school students to a table quiz, for the first time organised and hosted by its teachers and staff! All the quiz rounds are about different aspects of French culture: cinema, food, music, literature, sports, etc.
We have numerous prizes for each member of the winning teams, including books, films, t-shirts and vouchers for a French course!

This event is free of charge. However, booking is necessary as there is a maximum of 20 teams of 4!
Special event in partnership with the French Teachers Association Kildare

Admission free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

Climate Week - 22 to 26 March

The Alliance Française is happy to take part in Climate Week - an international rendez-vous - in partnership with Eco-Créations Co.
The artist Emmanuelle Marion will be happy to meet students to tell them more about this special event and to take the opportunity to show samples of ecological crafts that she will be teaching during the new session of workshops from 4 April. All students will be invited to vote for their favourite creations. The workshops will be based on the two most popular crafts

Adults : Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 from 12.00noon
Teenagers : Friday 25 March from 4.30pm
Children : Saturday 26 March at 12.00noon

Admission free
Eco-Créations Co. website: http://www.ecocreations.ie/about.htm

Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2011 - Screening of Vipère au poing at IFI

As a prelude to the Franco-Irish Literary Festival, the Alliance Française and the French Embassy have the pleasure of offering you the chance to attend a screening of the French film Vipère au poing, Philippe de Broca’s adaptation of Hervé Bazin’s novel. The film will be introduced by UCD Lecturer Dr Laurent Marie.

At the Irish Film Institute on Tuesday 5 April at 6.30pm.

Admission free but ticketed.
To book your ticket please contact the IFI box office: 01 679 3477

TALK - La responsabilité sociale des entreprises, sujet à la mode ou expression d’un besoin réel ?

Thursday 10 March at 6.30pm
Cercle Français
TALK by His Excellency Michel Doucin
Presentation in French – Q&A in French and in English

La responsabilité sociale des entreprises, sujet à la mode ou expression d’un besoin réel ?

From the United States to China and from Brazil to Norway, companies, foundations, multinationals, financial institutions and governments are calling for a charter to regulate the social practices with regard to the environment, social laws, human rights and the fight against corruption. Such a consensus is surprising in a world that is usually so divided on these topics. The French Ambassador charged with the social responsibility of enterprises (RSE), His Excellency Michel Doucin, will explore the sense, in reality the senses, plural, of the notion of social responsibility and will give examples from different continents, all the while underlining common ground: the largely shared view that these potentially destabilising economic powers have a huge role to play, to serve progress and the common good.

In collaboration with the Cultural Service of the French Embassy
Admission free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie

The Short Story/Poem Competition

The closing date of the Short Story/Poem Competition is fast approaching. Any budding writer, whether Irish or French, can take part in this challenge.


Find the rules below:
• The closing date is the 15th March 2011.
• A short story or short poem on the theme of “Generations”
• You may write either in English or in French.
• Your story or poem must be in Arial 12 and on one page word format. Any text longer than this will be disqualified!
• There is no age limit
• All stories and poems will be displayed during the Literary Festival.•
Send your completed story or poem by email to business@alliance-francaise.ie

We look forward to reading from you.

PANCAKE TUESDAY WITH MUSIC

Tuesday 8 March from 7pm to 9.30pm


Before the deprivations period of Lent, come to the Alliance Française and celebrate Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, in Carnival style! You’ll have some delicious pancakes lovingly prepared by the Café la Cocotte while enjoying Cajun music played by the band Prison Love.

Paul Mulcahy - steel-string Guitar, 5-String banjo; Mark O’Mahony - lead vocals, washboard ; Konrad Liddy - double-bass; Adrian Hart - fiddle, harmony vocals and Dave Holden - mandolin, harmony vocals will “deliver exquisite musicianship and great fun in equal doses” (Prison Love).

A free glass of cider will be offered to anyone who dresses up or to anyone who wears a disguise (ex: hat, wig...). Best fancy dress wins a surprise!

€20 for AF members / €22 for Non Members
(1 or 2 savoury sarrasin galettes + 1 or 2 sweet crepes with 2 glasses of cider/ pers)

Online registration before Tuesday 8 March at 12pm on http://registration.xenegrade.com/afdublin/

Listen to Prison Love: www.myspace.com/prisonloveband

BOARD GAMES EVENING - PICTIONARY

Wednesday 9 March from 7.30 to 9pm

The Médiathèque at the Alliance Française Dublin will, from now on, opens its doors on the second Wednesday of the month from 7.30 to 9pm for a games evening!
You will discover, or re-discover, games in French such as Pictionary, Tabou, Cranium, and many more.
The games will be adapted so that they are accessible to all French learners whatever their level. It will be an opportunity to speak French but also to discuss French-language culture (film, literature, history, current affairs) through the game.
The evening is open to adults at all levels in French

In the library
AF members only – limited to 12 people
Admission free
RSVP: library@alliance-francaise.ie or 01 638 1443

The new poster - Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2011

Hello Everybody,
We have the pleasure to show you the new poster of the Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2011!

We look foward to seeing you in April!

MERS ET MERVEILLES, MONTRER L’INVISIBLE By Dr Emmanuel G. Reynaud (UCD)

Tuesday 15 February at 6.30pm

Dr Emmanuel G. Reynaud will present "Mers et merveilles, montrer l’invisible".
Oceans represent 71% of our lovely blue planet, and 97% of the water available to us. Each litre of seawater contains 10 to 100 billion invisible microscopic organisms which have a huge influence on the ecosystem and are the basis of the oceans’ food chain. They also produce half of the oxygen we breathe.
Our presentation will show the various techniques we have at our disposal to identify these microscopic and macroscopic species by digital photography and how these scientific, educational and artistic images give us a better understanding of this “nano world”.
Presentation in English - Q & A in French and in English –
Admission Free - RSVP: info@alliance-francaise.ie.
With the support of the Cultural Service of the French Embassy

9 + 1 by Dominique Davoust

EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS - 9 + 1 by Dominique Davoust
Opening: Thurssday 3rd February at 6.30pm in the presence of the artist
From 26 January until 19 March



In the mid 70’s D. Davoust studied Linguistics at the Paris VIII University and architecture at the Paris Beaux-Arts. In 1978, the portrait of Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto in Nigeria, marked the start of Dominique’s life as a free-lance photographer. Since then, he worked for advertising campaigns for 20 years. Dominique is now based in Dublin where he works for the Irish advertising market, travels for international brands and devotes a large part of his time to his personal work and exhibitions.
In the project 9+1, ten photographs are taken on a given subject with a Polaroid SX70 camera. The SX-70 film has always been an icon in the world of fine-art photography. It renders photographs in a pastel-tinged colour palette that attracted big-name photographers and designers, among them: Helmut Newton, Duane Michals, and Andy Warhol.
Nine are chosen and framed following a square grid of 3 x 3. The last image authenticates the work as unique Polaroid originals. Here the composition is external to the image itself, but it creates a new work by assembling the nine individual images, in a “vibration” of nine squares.

Previous exhibitions:
• May 2000: at the Alcazar, Joseph Conrad’s famous venue in Paris: "Paris Surface".
• July 2005: in the Civic Theatre at Tallaght Co. South Dublin Dublin: The Luas Chronicle.
• November 2005: at the National Art Gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria: “9+1”
• February 2009: Toradh Gallery in the Civic Centre, Ashbourne Co. Meath: “Encounter Meath”

Admission free – At the Alliance Française, in La Cocotte – 1, Kildare Street; Dublin 2
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 9.30pm – Friday 8.30am to 7pm – Saturday 8.30am to 1pm

The Franco-Irish Literary Festival 2011

Now a significant date in Dublin’s annual literary calendar, The Franco-Irish Literary Festival will be held for the twelfth consecutive year on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of April 2011 in the Coach House situated in Dublin Castle and in the Alliance Française.

On 26tth July 2010 Dublin was officially designated a UNESCO City of Literature. The Alliance Française Dublin is very proud to have played its part in achieving this prestigious designation with the Franco-Irish Literary Festival.

Our intention this year is to invite Irish and French writers and also one each from Canada (Quebec), Germany and UK.
Authors include Geneviève Brisac, Virginie Linhart, Phillippe Forest, Eric Fottorino, Véronique Ovaldé, Claude Arnaud (France), Mícheál Ó Conghaile, Siobhán Parkinson, Caitriona O’Reilly, John Banville, Macdara Woods, Harry Clifton, Keith Ridgway, Paul Murray (Ireland), David Homel (Québec), Julia Frank (Germany), Carlo Gébler (UK).

The theme of the twelfth edition of the Franco-Irish Literary Festival, Generations – Glúnta, will be discussed through four round-table discussions:

● Etre de son temps : Belonging to a generation - Cuid de ghlúin faoi leith

● Le temps de la révolte : Generation gaps - An deighilt idir ghlúnta

● Au fil du temps : Words in time - An briathar trí chriathar an ama

● Le temps après : The next generation - An ghlúin atá le teacht

We look forward to seeing you on the 8th, 9th and 10th of April 2011!

The writing competition - Budding Writers

Last year, for its eleventh edition, the Franco-Irish Literary Festival introduced a new idea: A writing competition. We were so encouraged by the huge success of this competition that we intend to repeat it in the current edition.

The purpose of the writing competition is to showcase writing talent on the theme “Generations”. Any "Budding Writer”, whether Irish or French, can take part in this challenge.

The jury which will decide on the winner is composed of members of the Festival Committee. The best short stories/poems (one French and one English) will be read by the authors during the festival.
The two winners, one Irish - will receive a free French course, of his/her choice, at the Alliance Francaise and one French - will be able to choose from a wide range of creative writing courses at the Irish writers’ Centre.

• The opening date for entries is the 1rst January 2011 - The closing date is the 15th March 2011.
• A short story or short poem on the theme of “Generations”.
• You may write either in English or in French.
• Your story or poem must be in Arial 12 and on one page word format. Any text longer than this will be disqualified!
• There is no age limit.
• All stories and poems will be displayed during the Literary Festival.
• Send your completed story or poem by email to business@alliance-francaise.ie

Take up your pens!

IFI FRENCH FILM CLUB – THE THORN IN MY HEART

Tuesday 18 January - 9pm
IFI FRENCH FILM CLUB – THE THORN IN MY HEART
6 Eustace Street
Dublin 2

The Thorn in my Heart is a film directed by Michel Gondry. Starring Michel Gondry, Suzette Gondry, Jean-Yves Gondry.
Watching the work of the French fabulist Michel Gondry can be an intoxicating yet frustrating experience. Few directors share his ability to make images that seem to plug directly into our feelings, particularly those of nostalgia, melancholy and childhood joy.
But despite his knack for enchantment, the films he builds from those images, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, don’t quite sweep us away. Their eccentricity and whimsicality begin to feel studied, then insistent, and finally a bit off-putting; what seemed to be transparent turns out to be opaque.
For his new film The Thorn in the Heart, Mr. Gondry dispensed nearly entirely with the visual embroidery that has been his trademark since his music-video days. “Thorn” is about as personal a project as you’ll see from a major filmmaker: a documentary portrait of Mr. Gondry’s formidable Aunt Suzette, a family linchpin and former schoolteacher, and of her troubled relationship with her son, Jean-Yves.

Introduced by Laurent Marie, Lecturer in French at UCD
Tickets available at the IFI: AF members €7 - Non-members €9.50

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE CHOIR

The Alliance Française invites you to sing every Tuesday from 1pm to 2pm. This choir, now in its second year, is directed by French soloist, and singing teacher, Laura Zimmermann. The repertoire is French and in a variety of styles, from the medieval to the contemporary, without forgetting songs from around the world.
The sessions begin with a good warm-up and vocal work.

Whatever your level, don’t hesitate. Join us!All welcome: French speakers and non-French speakers alike.

Every Tuesday 1.00-2.00pm
11 Jan – 7 June: 19 sessions
(no choir on 22 February and 19, 26 April)
€50 for AF members
€80 for Non-Members
Online registration available
€5 a session for those who don’t want to commit to the whole term.

Happy new year!

Wishing you a Happy New Year in 2011 from us all at the Alliance Francaise of Dublin.
May 2011 be the year of happiness, peace, health and surprises...!