April 2021 #176

Édito
The month of April at Alliance Française Dublin will be dedicated to Literature, giving you the opportunity to participate in plenty of online literary events throughout the month.
First and foremost, the long-awaited Franco Irish Literary Festival
will take place on 15, 16 and 17 April, live on Facebook with discussions, readings, interviews and a special recital. Having reached the age of 21, the Festival enters a new decade with confidence! April also provides us with another reason to celebrate as it marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Baudelaire. The online festival Baudelaire 200 Years! is an all-day event on 8 April that will gather poets, translators and academics from around the world to discuss the seminal French poet. But that's not all: The 3rd session of the European Book Club organised by EUNIC Ireland will welcome German author Dörte Hansen on 8 April; one of our bimonthly Les Wébinaires AF will be dedicated to contemporary French literature on 22 April; the Beckett Brunch will be back online on 24 April; and not to forget our ongoing literary series Vois-tu Gab... by Franck Berthier with its 4th episode streaming on Youtube from 13 April.

We wouldn't be able to present such a rich programme of free events every month without our Language Centre income, so please check out our new Easter Term starting from next week with French courses for all ages and abilities. Donations are also welcome!

Christine Weld, Cultural Manager, Alliance Française Dublin, cweld@alliance-francaise.ie
   
New Online Tern
   
Online Tuition Online Tuition
Easter Term:
Courses for Adults
Easter Term:
Courses for Teenagers

8-week term
Starting from March 29th

   

General French courses, conversation courses, refreshers' classes, specialised workshops, preparation for international diplomas,  are available for adults of any level morning, afternoon and evening times once or twice a week from Monday to Saturday for 8 weeks.

Assessments are free of charge and no appointment is required, you just to fill in this placement test! You do not need an assessment if you are a complete beginner or if you are already a student, you can enrol directly online.

 
 

7-week term
Starting from April 12th
   

These courses are designed as a complement to classes attended at secondary school.
They provide a diversification and broadening of the language in an interactive way. Teachers focus on interests and topics relevant to the participants as well as the requirements of the syllabus.

The Alliance Française employs and trains the best native French teachers in Ireland. In contrast to most Irish institutes we take no more than 15 students per group to ensure the best learning experience for all.

 
 
 
Online Tuition Certification
Easter Term:
Courses for Children
Internationally recognised Diplomas in French
7-week term
Starting from April 12th
   

Through lively and stimulating activities, children build up a broad and lasting knowledge of the French language. Classes closely follow children's development and abilities.

Our teachers are all native French speakers and experienced in working with children. Our communicative approach ensures that every child is given ample opportunity to actually speak French.
General French classes for every levels and bilingual courses are available.

 
 
Registration open for DELF/DALF  More information 

DELF (Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française) and DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) are official and valid for life qualifications awarded by France Éducation International and the French Ministry of Education to certify the competency of candidates from outside France in the French language.
DELF & DALF are composed of 6 inde- pendent diplomas that correspond to the 6 levels of the Common European Framework for Languages. You can sit DELF & DALF Tout Public exams on 25-28 May by registering before 16 April.

 
 
   
Online Camps
Easter Holiday Online Programmes
Children 
29 & 30 March 1pm to 2pm (2 hours)
4-6 years old 
7-10 
years old 
8 & 9 April 1pm to 2pm (2 hours)
4-6 years old 
7-10 years old

Every school holiday, learn and play in French: Arts & crafts, songs, games, and many more activities!
The classes will focus on Easter magic and be led online by qualified and child-friendly, Garda-vetted French-native teachers and take place live on Zoom.
All children are welcome, whatever their level of French!
 
Teenagers
29 & 30 March 11am to 1pm (4 hours)
Junior Cycle
Leaving Cycle
Leaving Certificate
8 & 9 April 11am to 1pm (4 hours)
Junior Cycle
Leaving Cycle
Leaving Certificate

Every school holiday, 
Alliance Française Dublin organises intensive courses for Junior & Leaving Cycles and Leaving Certificate students preparing to sit their French Examination that year. While we try to keep this holiday programme as lively and fun as possible, its content is directly designed to meet the requirements of the syllabus
 
   
Online Literary Festival
Baudelaire 200 Years!

Thursday 8 April Live on Zoom   

Alliance Française Dublin and Irish poet and translator Peter O’Neill are delighted to invite you to this Literary Festival to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867). A diverse range of poets, writers, and translators from around the world, are invited in to discuss why France’s greatest poet is even more relevant today than ever before. They will argue on the importance of Baudelaire’s writings in the context of contemporary literature in Ireland. Charles Baudelaire's poetry announced modernity and made him a precursor of symbolism and surrealism. Considered a cursed and tortured poet, Charles Baudelaire wrote about the duality between good and evil, pleasure and violence, beauty and ugliness. Unrecognized during his lifetime, he did not receive acclaim until after his death.

Join us for a series of panel discussions, live on Zoom, and the book launch of Peter O’Neill's sixth collection of poetry, Henry Street Arcade, a bilingual edition translated by French poet Yan Kouton. All events are free of charge but booking is required.

 
 
   
Online Talk Literary Series
European Book Club #3:
Dörte Hansen
"Vois-tu Gab..."
by Franck Berthier
Thursday 8 April – 6pm
Live on Zoom  

EUNIC Ireland's European Book Club is a series of monthly discussions on a bestselling novel in English translation. The European Book Club is held on the first Thursday of the month with a live discussion with the author of the selected novel.

For the third session,
Goethe-Institut Irland is proud to present German author Dörte Hansen who will talk about her debut novel This House Is Mine (2015). Presented in English by the Irish author Mia Gallagher.

The fourth European Book Club will take place on Thursday 6 May with Spanish author Andrés Barba.
 
 
Episode 4 on 13 April
Streaming on Youtube  

Discover every month on our YouTube a new episode of Vois-tu Gab..., an original 7-part literary series created by Franck Berthier for Alliance Française Dublin.

Franck Berthier is a French actor, stage director, teacher and author. While appearing as a guest during our Franco-Irish Literary Festival in 2019, Franck was overwhelmed by the memory of a youthful romance with the Irish actress Gabrielle Reidy. Upon his return he dived into a hundred letters sent by Gabrielle and felt the uncontrollable urge to respond. In Vois-tu Gab... Franck reminisces and replies to the late actress, trying to establish an impossible conversation that defies time.
 
 
   
Online Literary Festival
Franco-Irish Literary Festival: Making A Better World

15 - 17 April Live on Facebook   

Organised by Alliance Française Dublin and the French Embassy, the 21st edition of the Franco-Irish Literary Festival will take place online from 15 to 17 April. This year's theme is Making A Better World / Refaire le Monde, allowing discussions to focus on new ecological and environmental approaches in Literature. Online panel discussions, readings, and interviews will be streaming live on Facebook on Friday and Saturday, preceded by a very special opening performance on Thursday evening.

Prominent guests of the 21st edition include documentarist and former Minister for the Environment Nicolas Hulot, poet Michael Longley, journalist Aymeric Caron, writers Sara Baume, Natacha Kanapé Fontaine, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and 2020 Prix Femina recipient Serge Joncour, vocalist Síobhra Quinlan, and many, many more!

All events are presented in English and French with simultaneous English subtitles. The Festival is, as usual, free of charge and open to everyone (please note that a Facebook account is not required to attend).

 
 
   
Online Activity Online Activity
The French Library's
'Musardise'
The French Library's
'En cuisine'
Thursday 15 April6pm
Live on Zoom  

Musardise (idling in French) is the French Library's online immersive tours of the most important French museums & monuments!

This month, we invite you to the iconic Tour Eiffel for a treasure hunt via Google Arts & Culture. You will have the opportunity to visit La Dame de Fer from the inside and enjoy the breathtaking view on Paris.

After a presentation, you'll be left alone to wander in the virtual tower and find a list of important buildings and elements of Paris' skyline as part of a team or by yourself! A perfect occasion to (re)discover la ville des Lumières!
 
 
Tuesday 20 April – 6pm
Live on Zoom  

The French Library's En cuisine invites you to a step-by-step cooking demonstration of an easy but tasty traditional French dish.

For the 3rd edition, the French Library team will show you how to prepare croque-monsieur & îles flottantes. The croque-monsieur is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese, that originated in Parisian cafés as a quick snack, a dish that will be complimented perfectly by îles flottantes, a dessert consisting of meringue floating on crème anglaise (vanilla custard).

The list of ingredients and materials will be sent beforehand so that everyone can cook and taste together!
 
 
 
   
Online Presentation & Tuition Online Presentation & Tuition
Les Wébinaires AF #5:
La Savoie
Les Wébinaires AF #6:
Littérature Contemporaine
Webinar Wednesday 21 April
6pm-7pm on Zoom  
 
Workshop
Wednesday 28 April 5pm-7pm on Zoom   

Les Wébinaires AF are a new series of online activities in French: join us every 3rd week of the month for a free webinar on a French cultural topic, supplemented by a French course the following week to deepen what was covered in a conversation class setting.
For this 5th edition, French teacher Catherine Volat will introduce you to the Savoie region 
and go through the main features of its extremely rich heritage, culture and gastronomie
 
 
Webinar Thursday 22 April
6pm-7pm on Zoom  
 
Workshop
 Thursday 29 April
5pm-7pm on Zoom   

Les Wébinaires AF are a new series of online activities in French: join us every 3rd week of the month for a free webinar on a French cultural topic, supplemented by a French course the following week to deepen what was covered in a conversation class setting.
For this 6th edition, 
French teacher Muriel Sanchez will introduce you to some of the most important contemporary authors in France, including Emmanuel Carrère, Sorj Chalandon and Delphine de Vigan.
 
 
   
Online Activity Online Talk
The French Library's
Board Game Evening
Beckett Brunch 2021:
Cross-Border Beckett
Thursday 22 April – 6pm
Live on Discord  

Our popular Board Game Evening is now online! Let’s get the board game community together for a fun night open to everyone, hosted through Discord with different virtual rooms on board game platforms.

With  family, friends or solo, you can challenge yourself to "Carcassone", "Six qui prend", “Saboteur”, "Scriblio" and "Gartic Phone", or track down the "Loup-Garous de Thiercelieux" and the "Among Us" impostor, or collaborate to create a splendid "Hanabi".

Details will be sent by email prior to the event. You can also join the Facebook group to chat!
 
 

Saturday 24 April 10am
Admission free  

Samuel Beckett used to cross borders as he travelled to London, Paris and Germany – so it is no wonder that borders are so recurrent in his oeuvre. And in the current context, this Franco-Irish event is an opportunity to think our world anew.
Get your coffee and croissants ready for a bilingual celebration of the famous Irish author, with discussions, Q&A sessions, and readings from performers, students and artists.

This event is presented by the Trinity Centre for Beckett Studies with the support of the French Embassy and Alliance Française Dublin.

 
 
   
Live Reading Online Activity
Facebook Live Series:
Harriet Welty Rochefort
The French Library's
Sieste Musicale
Monday 26 April – 6pm
Live on Facebook 

Join us every week on Facebook for our Alliance Française Live Series, a short live performance by one of our collaborators and friends. These presentations include reading, theatre, drawing, music, cooking and more!

Next up, American-French writer Hariett Welty Rochefort will read form her first fiction novel Final Transgression (2020).
Harriet is a writer, journalist, and a former professor at Science Po Paris, who regularly lectures on the cultural differences between French and Americans. She has written three books on the subject: French Toast, French Fried, and Joie de vivre. Final Transgression is inspired by the true story of Séverine Sevanot during the Vichy regime.
 
 
Tuesday 27 April – 6pm
Live on Zoom  

The Sieste Musicale is back on Zoom! This month we’re taking you to Rochefort and its region for a 1 hour auditory journey!

Our librarian will take you on an immersive audio tour around some of the most hidden gems of Charente Maritime's Atlantic coast from L'Hermione to Fort Boyard,
enriched by iconic tunes celebrating the region’s beauty.

We recommend making yourself com- fortable, in a sofa, armchair or bed, to completely enjoy the experience. A unique occasion to dream, maybe sleep, and to get fully energized again after your day!
 
 
   
AF Network Online Live Competition
Alliance Française Irish Network Meeting The French Library's
Pub Quiz

Wednesday 28 April
More information

The Alliance Française Network in Ireland is gathering again this year following an invitation from Alliance Française Dublin and the French Embassy .
The day-long meeting will focus on how to best address the challenges that the Alliances Françaises of Ireland are facing in the Covid-19 crisis context.
There are 5 Alliances Françaises in Ireland and 6 centres:
Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, Waterford / Wexford, all Registered Irish Charities.

 
 
Thursday 29 April – 8pm
Live on Facebook 

How much do you know about France, French culture and French in the world?

Test your knowledge live on Facebook with The French Library's Pub Quiz! The library team has put together a very special contest and general culture and fun facts will be their remit.

Get an opportunity to not only to shine and have fun but also to win many prizes including French Courses and Library Memberships!

 
 
   
   
 
   
1 Kildare Street, Dublin 2
(+353) 1 676 17 32

info@alliance-francaise.ie
www.alliance-francaise.ie