Jun 17, 2025 – Jun 25, 2025
A Group Exhibition of Contemporary Art
Opening: 17 June 2025, at 06.00 pm
Venue: La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka
Real: Folk: Abstract
Timber Tales is a journey through memory, myth, material and emotion, where each print becomes a fragment of a deeper narrative. These works are not just impressions-they are echoes of heart shaped by hand. This group exhibition reimagines the traditional woodcut technique through a contemporary lens, merging age-old craftsmanship with modern sensibilities. Each artist brings a distinct perspective, exploring themes of identity, environment, and transformation. The exhibition stands as a testament to how ancient methods can speak boldly in today’s visual language raw, experimental, and deeply personal. In a world of rapid change, Timber Tales invites the viewer to pause, to trace each line, and to listen to what the wood has to say.
Alliance Française de Dhaka is pleased to present “TIMBER TALES”, a group exhibition showcasing the diverse and evocative works of emerging and established Bangladeshi artists. The exhibition will be inaugurated on 17th June 2025, at 06.00 pm at La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, in the presence of distinguished guests, artists, and art enthusiasts. This exhibition brings together three artists, each with a unique visual language but in medium. This woodcut print collection reflects contemporary themes that explore identity, environment, memory, and social narratives.
Participating Artists: Abu Al Naeem; Rakib Alam Shanto and Shakil Mridha
The exhibition serves as a platform for collective expression and collaboration, inviting the audience to experience a dynamic dialogue among varied practices and perspectives. Each work invites introspection, challenges norms, and contributes to the evolving discourse of Bangladeshi contemporary art. The exhibition will remain open to all from June 17 – June 25 between 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm, (Closed on Sundays).
Alliance Française de Dhaka cordially invites art lovers, critics, curators, and the general public to visit the exhibition and support the flourishing art community.
Opening: 17th June 2025, at 06.00 pm
Venue: La Galerie, Alliance Française de Dhaka, 26 Mirpur Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205
Jun 20, 2025
ENG 🇺🇸
The Fête de la Musique, or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June. On Music Day, citizens and residents are urged to play music outside in their neighborhoods or in public spaces and parks. Free concerts are also organized, where musicians play for fun and not for payment.
The first all-day musical celebration on the day of the summer solstice was originated by Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture of France, as well as by Maurice Fleuret; it was celebrated in Paris in 1982. Music Day later became celebrated in 120 countries around the world.
History
In October 1981, Maurice Fleuret became Director of Music and Dance at the French Ministry of Culture at Jack Lang’s request. He applied his reflections to the musical practice and its evolution: “the music everywhere and the concert nowhere”. When he discovered, in a 1982 study on the cultural habits of the French, that five million people, one young person out of two, played a musical instrument, he began to dream of a way to bring people out on the streets. It first took place in 1982 in Paris as the Fête de la Musique.
Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries, including India, Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, the United States, the UK, and Japan.
In the Anglosphere, the day has become known as Music Day, Make Music Day and World Music Day.
Purpose
Fête de la Musique’s purpose is to promote music. Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets, under the slogan “Faites de la musique” (“Make music”), a homophone of Fête de la musique. Thousands of free concerts are staged throughout the day, making all genres of music accessible to the public.
In France, all concerts must be free to the public, and all performers donate their time free of charge. This is true of most participating cities as well.
FRA 🇫🇷 La Fête de la Musique, également connue sous le nom de Make Music Day, est une célébration annuelle de la musique qui a lieu le 21 juin dans de nombreux pays à travers le monde. Cet événement a été créé en 1982 par le ministère français de la Culture, Jack Lang, avec pour objectif de promouvoir la musique sous toutes ses formes et de permettre à chacun de célébrer la musique, qu’il soit amateur ou professionnel. La Fête de la Musique a pour but de démocratiser la musique en la rendant accessible à tous, en offrant la possibilité à des musiciens de se produire dans les rues, les parcs, les bars, les salles de concert, etc. C’est l’occasion pour les artistes de se faire connaître, pour les amateurs de partager leur passion et pour le public de découvrir de nouveaux talents et de profiter de concerts gratuits. Cette journée festive et conviviale permet également de rassembler les gens autour de la musique, de créer du lien social et de favoriser les échanges interculturels. La Fête de la Musique est devenue au fil des années un événement incontournable pour les amoureux de la musique et un rendez-vous festif et joyeux pour tous.
Are you a talented musician looking for an opportunity to showcase your skills? Look no further! 🎶
Alliance Française de Dhaka is thrilled to announce a call for applications for our upcoming event, « Music Day Festival » celebrating International Music Day on June 20, 2025.
We are seeking passionate musicians of all genres to join us for an evening of music, dance, and cultural exchange.🎤🎧
To apply, please provide us by mail: [email protected]
the following details;
1️⃣Your name and contact information
2️⃣A brief description of your musical style and experiences
3️⃣Any recordings or links to your performances (if available)🎸🥁
Submit your application to [email protected] by June 15.
Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to share your musical talent with our community. We can’t wait to hear your melodies!
#musicday #fetedelamusique #dhakaevents #alliancefrancaise #afdhaka #frenchlanguage #frenchculture
Jul 04, 2025 – Jul 05, 2025
Alliance Française de Dhaka and Compagnie Graine de Vie present By Laurie Cannac and a team of Bangladeshi artists
French puppeteer and director Laurie Cannac, who previously performed several times in Dhaka, has been very inspired by bangladeshi bhut stories for their weird aspects and deep meanings. Created with a wonderfull bangladeshi artistic and technical team, this shows is her tribute to the accuracy of popular wisdom of Bangladesh towards respect to nature, in an ecological tale enlightened by the liveliness, the optimism and deepness of bangladeshi people.
Two scientists, studying the impact of ghosts on everyday life in Dhaka, are well mastering their subject. Until the moment when their subject begins to master them, and throws them into a fantastic trip that will lead them to meet wilderness and wisdom of Sundarbans.
Bangladesh, a country impacted by historical events like the partition of 1947 and the war of 1971, possesses a rich thousand-year-old history that explores the connection between humans and the mystical realm. This heritage is preserved through oral traditions which reflect the present world, historical disruptions, and the fragile unity of Bengali culture.
In her immersive experience in Bangladesh, including workshops, meetings, and the Faim de loup show, Laurie Cannac encountered Bangladeshi stories and artists, deeply moved by their resilient positivity. Inspired by this, she aims to showcase their vitality, humor, and adaptability in a unique production called Invisible Stories. Drawing from the diverse oral traditions that encompass all religious communities, ghost stories, and other supernatural elements, Laurie has formed a team of three versatile actors-dancers-singers to create this multidisciplinary project.
Through a collection of traditional Bengali ghost stories, the artists will reimagine Dhaka, their city-megalopolis, by submerging it in a surreal and dreamlike world. This creative process aims to find explanations for the city’s challenges, such as its notorious traffic, by attributing them to the rural exodus of tree ghosts. The coexistence of the ancient and modern will be portrayed as walls supported by specialized ectoplasm.
Furthermore, the production will allude to historical ghosts, like ghost trains inspired by the tragic passengers of the 1947 convoys. Additionally, the exploration of personal ghosts, intertwined with Jung’s collective unconscious, will add depth to the relationships between the characters. The technical aspects of the production will emphasize the representation of the invisible through various means, including play, movement, objects, and body puppetry.
Please find the details of this project “Invisible Stories” / Projet artistique Histoires Invisibles:
Project “Invisible Stories” 🇬🇧 |
Projet artistique “Histoires Invisibles” 🇫🇷 |
Show Schedule
🎭 04 July 2025 at 7:00 pm; Venue: Experimental Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka; Open to all upon registration* (please email to [email protected] mentioning the event title, date of the event, Name of the attendee, contact number)
🎭 05 July 2025 at 7:00 pm; Venue: Experimental Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka; Open to all upon registration* (please email to [email protected] mentioning the event title, date of the event, Name of the attendee, contact number)
Invisible Stories in France 🇫🇷
🎭22 September 2025 at 9:30 pm; Venue: CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES (08); The Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes.
🎭23 September 2025 at 9:30 am and 5 pm; Venue: CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES (08); The Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes.
🎭24 September 2025 at 9:30 pm and 3.30 pm; Venue: CHARLEVILLE-MEZIERES (08); The Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes.
🎭 2 October 2025 at 2:30pm and 7pm; Venue: PARIS (75); le grand parquet/ Théâtre Paris-Villette.
🎭 3 October 2025 at 7pm; Venue: PARIS (75); le grand parquet/ Théâtre Paris-Villette.
🎭 14 October 2025 at 2:30pm and 8pm; Venue: CLUNY (71); Théâtre de Cluny / Festival Contes Givrés.
🎭 Date To be confirmed at 2:30pm and 8pm; Venue: DIJON (71); Théâtre des Feuillants / ABC Dijon.
🎭 21 October 2025 at Time to be confirm; Venue: BESANCON (25); Coup de projecteur/ La Plaje (TO BE CONFIRMED).
Aug 08, 2025 – Aug 09, 2025
Alliance Française de Dhaka, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and Théâtre en tête present “Songs of Hawkers” A Comedy in Three Parts
TEXT AND DIRECTION – Zazie Hayoun
‘Songs of Hawkers’ is a comedic endeavor to highlight the livelihood of the hawkers on the street. They play an essential role in bringing back the humanity to the city. In the chaotic ensemble of city life, the hawkers make life easier for many people with their variety of products and prices cheaper than any supermarket shops. In this theatrical presentation combined with music, dance and puppets, the actors use the technique of Grand Guignol, which is a French form of theatre from the 19th Century.
‘Songs of Hawkers’ tells three stories of hawkers that follow different characters easily recognizable from everyday reality –
The Secret
The Thief Rewarded and
The Competition
With hints of characters from the different hawkers around us, ‘Songs of Hawkers’ intends to pay a tribute to the street walkers, whose relentless chants bring poetry to our daily life.
Alliance Française de Dhaka presents Songs of Hawkers, a vibrant comedy in three parts, capturing the humor, rhythm, and resilience of street vendors through music, movement, and puppetry.
Production Team:
| 🥇 🪑 Text and Director: Zazie Hayoun |
| 🥈 Assistant: Prajna T. Rubayyat |
| 🥉 Second Assistant: Farjana Akter |
| 🎼 Music for Choreography: Rahul Ananda |
| 💃 Choreography: Farhad A. Shamim |
| 🪆Props Making: Tanji Kun |
Actors:
| 🎭 Imam Hossain | 🎭 M S Rana |
| 🎭 P K Fazal | 🎭 Suraiya T. Mou |
- 📅 Date: August 08 and 09
- ⏳ Duration: 60 minutes
- 📍 Venue: Experimental Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, 143/3 Segunbagicha, Ramna, Bangladesh
- ⏰ Showtime: 6:30 PM
- 🗨️ Language: Bangla with some English mixed in
Don’t miss this lively and laughter-filled theatrical experience! 😃🎶
| DISCOVER THE NARRATIVE AND INSIGHTS FROM THE THEATRE DIRECTOR THROUGH A SUCCESSFUL PRESS REVIEW [CLICK HERE] |
