Parlemonde Festival

Parlemonde: The World's Languages Meet in Montbéliard

Created in 2017 by MA scène nationale — Pays de Montbéliard, the Parlemonde festival is a unique cultural event that places linguistic and cultural diversity at the heart of artistic creation. Held biennially, it offers unique participatory creations that tell the multilingual history of the Pays de Montbéliard territory.

An Artistic and Civic Project

Parlemonde was born from an observation: the Pays de Montbéliard is a territory rich in its cultural diversity, marked by successive waves of immigration that have shaped its identity. The festival gives voice to this diversity by bringing together:

• International artists: Directors, choreographers, musicians, visual artists from various countries
• Youngophone students: Students from UPE2A (Pedagogical Units for Newly Arrivedophone Students) in the territory's schools
• Teachers and educators: Who support young people in the creative process
• Researchers: Including a PhD student in language sciences conducting academic research on the project

Unique Participatory Creations

The heart of Parlemonde lies in its participatory creations: shows, performances, and installations designed over several months of residencies and workshops, blending languages, cultures, and artistic disciplines. Each edition produces between 4 and 6 original creations, the result of encounters between an artist and a group of young people.

A Festival Led by MA scène nationale

MA scène nationale — Pays de Montbéliard is the cultural institution behind the Parlemonde festival. Designated a national stage by the Ministry of Culture, MA develops an ambitious multidisciplinary program throughout the season and makes Parlemonde one of its flagship projects.

The Fab-MA and Artist Residencies

The Fab-MA, MA scène nationale's creation laboratory, is where Parlemonde creations are produced. It hosts artist residencies and workshops with young people in a space dedicated to experimentation and transmission.

Strong Institutional Partnership

Parlemonde benefits from the support of the Ministry of National Education, the rectorate of the Besançon academy, the City of Montbéliard, and Pays de Montbéliard Agglomération. This strong institutional partnership reflects the project's recognition as both an artistic endeavor and a tool for inclusion and citizenship.

Four Editions Since 2017

Parlemonde has had four major editions:

• Parlemonde #1 — May 4-5, 2017: The founding first edition
• Parlemonde #2 — 2019: Affirmation of the biennial format
• Parlemonde #3 — May-June 2021: An edition adapted to the health context
• Parlemonde #4 — 2023: Consolidation of the project