Albanian to celebrate Francophone Spring

TIRANA, March 7 – Tirana, Vlora, Berat, Pogradec, Saranda, Lezha, Permet and Gjirokastra are the eight Albanian cities which will host events celebrating Francophone Spring for two weeks. Events will kick off on Saturday in downtown Tirana with the opening of two photo exhibitions at the Theatre of Comedy and the Murat Toptani pedestrian area. A video installation followed by a poetry and musical evening will follow at the Theatre of Comedy.
A tour of concerts by rapper Edi Casabella, pianist Pierre-Yves Plat and culinary performances by renowned French chef Cristophe Dufau are some of the key events scheduled to be held during the Franchophone Spring from March 16 to 31. Some of the events scheduled at the Theatre of Comedy and the Murat Toptani pedestrian street from March 18 to 23 include a photo exhibition by Albania’s Lami Dhaskali, and an exhibition by French photo reporter Arnaud Brunet
Last year’s programme of events marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the French Alliance in Tirana.
The official programme will bring a wide range of events such as concerts, exhibitions, conferences and debates on French literature and culture.
Organized by the French Embassy in Albania and the French Alliance in cooperation with Albanian state institutions, the Francophone Spring events are expected to revive cultural life in Albania, further promoting the French culture and arts in the country which numbers thousands of French speakers.
French is widely taught subject in Albanian schools. Several foreign languages schools have also established bilingual Albanian-French sections.
Albania has been a full member of the International Organization of Francophonie since 2006. The International Organisation of La Francophonie represents one of the biggest linguistic zones in the world. Its members share more than just a common language. They also share the humanist values promoted by the French language. The French language and its humanist values represent the two cornerstones on which the International Organisation of La Francophonie is based.
The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 70 member states and governments (56 members and 14 observers), which together represent over one-third of the United Nations’ member states and account for a population of over 870 million people, including 200 million French speakers.