Les Arts'Franchis Festival

A festival that breaks down artistic barriers

Les Arts'Franchis was born in 2014 from an audacious idea: to bring together artistic disciplines that are usually kept separate in a single event. Chamber music, theater, street circus, storytelling, and visual arts coexist and dialogue throughout the days, offering the public a rich and surprising cultural experience. The association Les Arts'Franchis, registered on November 4, 2014, and based in Lacanal (Monflanquin), carries this project with passion and determination.

The bastide of Monflanquin as a setting

The festival takes over the emblematic sites of the medieval bastide of Monflanquin, classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. The Place des Arcades, the Salle Aquitaine, the library, and the alleys of the bastide become open-air stages. Artistic parades invite spectators to discover the town in a new light, to the rhythm of performances and open-air installations.

European artistic residencies

Each summer, around forty artists from all over Europe—musicians, actors, clowns, storytellers, visual artists—are welcomed in residence in the bastide. This immersion allows for the creation of new performances and fosters encounters between artists with different practices. The festival thus offers:

• Chamber music: song and piano recitals, symphonic concerts
• Theater and contemporary narrative forms
• Street circus and artistic parades
• Storytelling and the art of speech
• Exhibitions of visual arts and photography in the open air
• Cine-concerts and innovative musical performances

Thematic editions

Each edition of the festival is organized around a unifying theme. In 2017, Don Quixote guided the program, celebrating "the power of imagination" through visual exhibitions, literary encounters, and performances inspired by the hero of Cervantes. This thematic approach gives artistic coherence to the diversity of offerings and enriches the spectator's experience.

A friendly and accessible festival

Les Arts'Franchis is distinguished by its spirit of friendliness and sharing. Evenings continue with "auberges espagnoles" (potluck dinners) where the public shares a meal with the artists in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The festival is aimed at all tastes and all ages, with a program designed to be accessible to the widest audience. Admission is free for most events, allowing everyone to enjoy this summer cultural interlude.