The Diplomat
Last Thursday, the Instituto Francés presented at its headquarters in Madrid the main axes of its 2022 cultural season, French Scenes, an event attended by the French Ambassador, Jean-Michel Casa, and the dancer and director of Teatros del Canal, Blanca Li, Godmother of this cultural season.
The French Ambassador opened the press conference by thanking Blanca Li for having accepted to be the Godmother of the cultural season and congratulating her on her new status as a member of the prestigious Académie française des Beaux Arts. He also announced that Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel Prize for Literature admitted to the Académie française, will be the great figure of the season during an exceptional literary event to be announced during the course of the year.
“The cultural season is important for France,” indicated Jean-Michel Casa, “because it illustrates the bond of friendship that unites France and Spain, which was strongly reiterated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez during the Franco-Spanish summit in Montauban on 15 March.”
“The French Scenes are also a privileged setting for debate and reflection on the challenges of our time. A few days ago, we organised the Night of Ideas in several Spanish cities and here in Madrid, in partnership with the Círculo de Bellas Artes. It was an intense moment of exchange on the major issues of our time in the presence of many intellectuals who had come to share the fruit of their reflections with the Spanish public,’ stressed the French ambassador.
For her part, Blanca Li emphasised that it was a pleasure for her to host the season, “as it was going to be a season very rich in projects all over the country, projects of incredible diversity. I love living this double culture that I have. I went to live in France many years ago, but Spain has always been my country of origin? Living this dual culture has always been very enriching. I think it’s something we have to pass on, and the two countries have a lot to share”.
The singer La Chica closed the event with a 20-minute showcase. She will return to the stage of the Instituto Francés in Madrid on 3 March with a concert in which she will unveil the titles of her latest work.
The main themes of this season’s programme at the Institute can be consulted on the Institute’s website.
