Les Diseurs d'Histoires

Les Diseurs d'Histoires: The Art of Storytelling in the Heart of Haute-Marne

Every autumn for over thirty-five years, the Les Diseurs d'Histoires festival has transformed Haute-Marne into a vast stage dedicated to the arts of storytelling and spoken word. This unique traveling festival in the Grand Est region invites professional storytellers from all over France and the French-speaking world to tour the department, offering performances close to the residents.

A Traveling Festival Rooted in the Territory

The originality of Les Diseurs d'Histoires lies in its traveling nature. Rather than concentrating performances in a single location, the festival unfolds across the entire Haute-Marne territory, taking over more than 40 different venues throughout its run. Artists perform in varied and often unusual settings:

• Schools and educational institutions, to engage younger audiences
• Media libraries of the departmental network
• Performance venues and community halls
• Hiking trails and natural spaces
• Estates and heritage sites of the department

This itinerant approach makes culture accessible to everyone, including in rural areas furthest from major urban centers, in line with the popular education values promoted by the Foyers Ruraux.

A Rich and Diverse Program

Each edition offers around thirty performances and workshops showcasing the diversity of storytelling and narrative arts. The program explores multiple narrative forms:

• Traditional tales and contemporary stories
• Young audience shows suitable for ages 3 and up
• Storytelling evenings and convivial formats
• Story walks in the heart of nature
• Training courses in the art of storytelling, led by renowned artists like Pépito Matéo

Each year, the festival hosts recognized artists from the French-speaking storytelling scene, offering a vibrant and generous panorama of this age-old art form, brought up to date.

A Popular Education Project

Supported by the Fédération Départementale des Foyers Ruraux de Haute-Marne (FDFR 52), created in 1982 and currently federating 58 associations, the festival is fully committed to a popular education approach. Les Diseurs d'Histoires aims to be a sensitive space where words illuminate reality and rekindle the imagination, a cultural project that connects with all residents, weaving links between generations, territories, and people.

An Unmissable Autumn Event

Since its creation in 1991, the festival has continuously grown and built a loyal audience. With its 35th edition in 2025, Les Diseurs d'Histoires asserts itself as a major cultural event for the Haute-Marne department and the Grand Est region, contributing to the influence of storytelling and spoken word arts throughout the territory.