This year’s festival was once again rich in discoveries and encounters thanks to the involvement of all the participants and partners from the region and elsewhere. The European forum days on 28 and 29 March brought together more than 300 people, a record for the festival!
This edition took place under the sign of Europe, with 4 foreign shows programmed in the Val d’Oise and Seine et Marne: Tuntu by the Finnish company Dance Theatre Auraco, Ceci n’est pas un livre by the Belgian company De Spiegel, Potjesman by the Dutch company Jasmin Hasler and H2O by the German company Hélios Theatre. The latter show was the occasion to create a partnership with the Théâtre du Champ Exquis in Blainville-sur-Orne, which included H2O in the programme of its Ribambelle festival (01/03-30-03).
Foreign institutions also responded to this programming, the festival received the support of the Dutch embassy for the hosting of Potjesman as well as the Goethe Institute for the tour of H2O.
In addition to the performances, the festival also welcomed the participants of the Erasmus + programme led by the company ACTA. The group of artists had the opportunity to deliver a testimony about the experience they have been living since September 2017.
The event would not have been possible without the support of the Île de France region: the DRAC Île de France, the Val d’Oise departmental council, the Roissy Pays de France agglomeration community and the town of Villiers-le-Bel. These partnerships demonstrate once again this year the importance given to culture and art for young children in the area hosting the festival and the ACTA company. This approach is reflected in the enthusiasm that accompanied this year’s European forum, which offered conferences on artistic and theatrical creation and the awakening of the very young through art.
In order to share this event with as many people as possible, videos of the conferences of the European forum will soon be available on the website, as well as interviews with various participants.
Premières Rencontres was…
From 17th March to 8th April 2018
A series of shows for young children in 18 municipalities in the Val d’Oise and Seine-et-Marne: Arnouville, Argenteuil, Cergy, Ermont, Fosses, Garges-lès-Gonesse, Gonesse, Goussainville, Marly-la-Ville, Maison de l’environnement de l’Arnouville, Argenteuil, Cergy, Ermont, Fosses, Garges-lès-Gonesse, Goussainville, Marly-la-Ville, Maison de l’Environnement de l’Aéroport de Roissy, Mitry-Mory, Montmorency, Persan, Saint-Gratien, Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Sarcelles, Taverny, Villiers-le-Bel.
The PR 2018
10 European shows (Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Germany and France)
94 performances, including 21 for the general public and 73 for schools.
The 28th and 29th March 2018
A European forum at the Espace Marcel Pagnol in Villiers-le-Bel with shows, conferences, inter-professional exchanges, open to all, bringing together artists, researchers, festival directors and programmers, staff from early childhood structures and parents…