French May Arts Festival 2024

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The French May Arts Festival (French May) and French GourMay Food and Wine Festival (French GourMay) 2024 are delighted to co-announce the launch of this year’s programmes. This year, French May presents over 100 arts and cultural programmes, spanning photography, circus, music, dance, and theatre. Supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust alongside other patrons and partners, the festival bridges Eastern and Western cultures, nurtures local arts and cultural talent, introduces internationally acclaimed art and culture programmmes and artists, as well as groundbreaking cross-cultural collaborations. Tickets of featured programmes are available at URBTIX.

This year, through partnerships with M+, Tai Kwun, and others, French May is reaching out to the community to share the best of French arts and culture. Programmes include:

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Noir & Blanc – A Story of Photography

Co-presented by French May and M+, in collaboration with the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), and exclusively sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. As the first public presentation of BnF’s collection in Asia, this exhibition features over 170 internationally acclaimed photographers and showcases more than 250 important photographs from BnF’s collection, complemented by over 30 photographs from the M+ Collections. This is the first exhibition at M+, French May Arts Festival dedicated to exploring the medium of photography and is also the opening programme of the 2024 French May Arts Festival.

An encounter between global music and dance styles: Symphony of New Worlds

Celebrating the electrifying encounter between music and movement styles from around the globe, conductor Zahia Ziouani leads France’s Divertimento Orchestra and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong in Symphony of New Worlds, performing classical dance masterpieces from Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. As they weave a tapestry of buoyant brand-new rhythms and smash through the boundaries of tradition, choreographer Mourad Merzouki and his Compagnie Käfig unleash a medley of movement, fusing hip hop, breakdance, martial arts, and contemporary dance into breathtaking spectacle. 

Beautiful Harmony – Piano and Flute Duo by Niu Niu and Cocomi

In this concert sponsored by the First Initiative Foundation (FIF), internationally renowned pianist Niu Niu and rising star flautist Cocomi,weave melodies together and presents a captivating performance. With Niu Niu’s masterful interpretations of the piano, Cocomi’s sensational touch on the flute, and a mesmerising poetry reading, Beautiful Harmony takes audience on an extraordinary musical journey, immersing them in a world of captivating melodies and the sublime beauty of poetry.

Two-year Hong Kong—France theatre exchange programme: Let the Mirror Speak

Now entering the final phase of the Hong Kong-France theatre exchange project, both playwrights and directors Wu Hoi Fai (Hong Kong) and Nicolas Kerszenbaum (France) will present their new works onstage. Nicolas Kerszenbaum’s Good Fortune depicts the living conditions of city dwellers by interweaving folklore beliefs with theatrical imagination; while the ethno-drama Pas de deux à Hong Kong, which was developed from a play reading performance last year into an on-stage production this year, sheds light on the lives of the French community in Hong Kong. Altogether, these two original theatre productions present mirror notions of a city’s authentic character.

Other programme highlights include Möbius in May at French Rendezvous @ Tai Kwun, exclusively sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, contemporary dance performance LOVETRAIN 2020, jazz music performance The Two Sides of Thierry Maillard, and more. 

Thanks to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, which is supporting the festival for the 13^th consecutive year, French May is also able to share the pleasures of French culture with the wider community. The ‘Jockey Club Community Outreach and Arts Education Programmes’, comprising outreach projects, educational talks, workshops, master classes, and free performances will enable a wider and more diverse audience to experience French arts and culture firsthand.

Partnering with LAWSGROUP, Cheung Yee Street outside of D2 Place will transform into an authentic French setting where visitors can have a day-long celebration of French culture, art, street food and pastries, and traditions. As the fourth consecutive year Chinachem Group partners with the festival to present phenomenal artistic happenings and gourmet delicacies across May and June at Central Market, NINA MALL, and Nina Park. Presented by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Happy French Wednesday, at Happy Valley Racecourse, will bring together world-class horse racing with mouth-watering French food, wine, and culture.

French GourMay Food and Wine Festival

From 01 to 31 May 2024, French GourMay is celebrating the Tastes of the South of France from Occitanie through an extensive network of partners. From the verdant mountains to magnificent seas, this vibrant land offers a wide range of culinary specialties. As the largest wine-growing region in France, Occitanie’s wines deliver a diverse palette of flavours just like the region’s distinct landscapes. This region of France is also well-known for its quality agriculture, cattle, and fishing products that nurture the region’s splendid gastronomic traditions. With exceptional wines and delicacies, these regional specialties will delight all gourmets in Hong Kong and Macau!