A path for spotting artistic talent and professional encounters, the Focus Francophonie will highlight the diversity and wealth of French language creation (dance, theatre, musique) with 15 international professionals mainly from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. These invitations are made possible thanks to the undertaking of the French cultural network.

Participants will have the possibility to discover many experienced and new French-speaking companies and artists, to take part in workshops reflecting on our changing world, to meet many French professionals, artists and institutions… a host of privileged moments to encourage collaborations and promote the international distribution of shows presented.

Under the guidance of Hassane Kassi Kouyaté, director since January 2019, the "Zébrures d’automne" is one of the major events in the French-speaking artistic arena with creations around theatre (which remains the main theme), dance, music, circus, street arts, but also documentary film, professional meetings, training, debates… Each year over eleven days hundreds of French-speaking artists, women and men who are producers and directors, actors, musicians, plastic artists, film-makers, as well as thousands of spectators meet up in Limoges and the surrounding area to share singular moments, reflections on what our humanity has in common. 

Foreign professionals can watch various shows:

• Congo Jazz Band, by Mohamed Kacimi, directed by Hassane Kassi Kouyaté
• La Nuit sera calme by Moïse Touré
• Akzak, choregraphed by Héla Fatoumi / Eric Lamoureux
• Là-bas, by Fargass Assande
• Dit par Dib, by Mohammed Dib, design, interpretation by Marja Nykanen
• L’impossible procès, text by Guy Lafages, adapted and directed by Luc Saint-Eloy
• Concert by Yann Cléry
• Concert by Arash Sarkechik

The Institut français and the Zébrures d’Automne are also organising a “discovery day” on 28 September at the Ferme Villefavard where French and French-speaking artists will come to present to international professionals the shows they are currently writing or producing. The opportunity to initiate future co-productions and distributions abroad.

The international participants will also meet French professionals during highlights and individual meetings, as well as major players in the French-speaking world such as the Commission internationale du théâtre francophone, the Chartreuse (Centre national des écritures du spectacle) or the Cité internationale des Arts, to make the Focus a real highlight of the French-speaking September new school year time. 

Other moments will complete the path with reflection workshops centred on the shows presented (Laboratoires du Zèbre) or the RFI Théâtre 2020 literary prize awards and the 2020 SACD prize for French-speaking dramaturgy.

The Institut français will also lead several sequences around its actions dedicated to supporting French-speaking, African and Caribbean stages:

• On Saturday 26 September at 12.30pm, presentation of the winners of the programme Accès Culture, launched by the Institut français and the AFD and which aims to cofinance cultural projects on the whole of the African continent with the aim of promoting social connection and collaborations between African and French cultural players, followed by the announcement of the winners of “Des mots à la scène” (“From Words to the Stage”), a fund for the production of contemporary writing for the stage from Africa and the Caribbean launched by the Institut français with the support of the Culture Ministry.
• On Tuesday 29 September at 10.30am, a round table on the theme of “ultramarine territories, platforms of regional cultural cooperation” with cultural players from Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion island and Guyana which will undertake a reflection of actions to implement to reinforce regional cooperation.
• On Tuesday 29 September at 12pm, the Institut français and the departments of cultural affairs (Guadeloupe, Martinique, DCJS of Guyana; Reunion island, Mayotte) will sign two partnership conventions to create the “Fonds de mobilité Caraïbes” (Caribbean mobility fund) and the “Fonds de mobilité Indianocéanique” (Indianoceanic mobility fund) which aim to promote mobility of artists and professionals from these geographical areas.

Within the current health context, the Institut français is also providing a virtual version of the Focus for professionals abroad who cannot attend.

This “Online Focus” will present recordings of shows to international professionals:

• Congo Jazz Band, by Mohamed Kacimi, directed by Hassane Kassi Kouyaté
• Akzak, choregraphed by Héla Fatoumi / Eric Lamoureux
• La Tablée by Maud Galet Lalande and Ahmed Amine ben Saad (2019 winner of “Des Mots à la Scène”
• Traces by Felwine Sarr with Etienne Minoungou, directed by Aristide Tarnagda
• Le Syndrome de la Pintade by Smockey

Everything that brings the festival to life will also be offered: workshops, discussions about issues for the French-speaking world and meetings on digital platforms with French professionals.