La Marmaille Young Audience Festival

Festival La Marmaille: Valserhône's young audience event

Since 2010, the Festival Jeune Public La Marmaille has enchanted families from Valserhône and the wider Bellegarde area every spring. Organised by Ar(t)abesques, a major cultural player in the area for over thirty years, this festival is an invitation to escape, discover and create, specially designed to awaken children's curiosity and imagination.

A week of shows and activities

Over five to six days in late May, the Théâtre Jeanne d'Arc and various locations around Valserhône are transformed into a vast artistic playground. The programme blends theatre, circus, puppet shows, storytelling and musical awakening, performed by professional companies from across France. Each performance is crafted to captivate young audiences, from toddlers to teenagers, while offering adults moments of wonder and togetherness.

A rich variety of art forms

The festival programme showcases the diversity of performing arts for young audiences:

• Theatre: original creations and adaptations of classic tales performed by specialist companies
• Contemporary circus: acrobatics, juggling and clowning to the delight of children
• Puppetry: string, glove and giant puppet shows, an art that fascinates all generations
• Storytelling: storytellers who transport audiences into imaginary worlds
• Musical awakening: interactive workshops and concerts introducing the youngest to music

The outdoor festive afternoon

Saturday afternoon is the festival highlight. The streets and squares of Valserhône host a grand open-air celebration with street performances, creative workshops, giant games and fun activities for the whole family. This entirely free festive day transforms the town centre into a welcoming space where children and adults come together in a joyful and caring atmosphere.

A festival rooted in its community

The Festival La Marmaille is part of the cultural policy of Valserhône and the Pays de Gex, contributing to the reach of young audience performing arts in rural areas. The Ar(t)abesques association, which manages the Théâtre Jeanne d'Arc, offers year-round quality programming for all audiences, and the festival is the highlight of its young audience season.

Thanks to its free admission, La Marmaille enables all families to enjoy quality performances without financial barriers. The festival thus fulfils its mission: making art and culture accessible to as many people as possible, from the earliest age.