RedPlexus is thrilled to announce its collaboration with the Mairie du 2&3 de Marseille and KLAP – Maison pour la dance for a brand new festival named “Les Plus Belles de Mai” (The Most Beautiful of May), to be held every Saturday from April 13 to May 4.
The aim is to highlight the significance of women in the public space of the Belle de Mai neighborhood. 4 evenings, 4 bars, 4 women, 4 Saturdays – that’s the festival’s motto! Throughout the festival, you’ll be invited to discover (or not, if you’re a regular!) four bars run by wonderful women.
Now let’s get down to the long-awaited program!
THE FESTIVAL
Saturday April 13th
Bar Marius
Owner Dominique
6pm > Festival opening
Les Plus Belles de Mai parade preview
18h45 > Les Haltes Merveilleuses – Cie Texte hors contexte.
The “Merveilles et Mystères de Marseille” (Wonders and Mysteries of Marseille) tour stops at the bar Marius for an original performative creation with and around Dominique, the bar manager.
7.15pm > Gordolandia – Valentina Viettro
A woman journeys towards her most important conquest: becoming herself. Training to survive both on stage and in the streets. An extraordinary woman, the Uruguayan performer and poet offers a powerful and joyful interactive workout, a cocktail of aerobics, boxing and feminist poetry.
8.15pm > Je suis F – Collectif Mira
10 women from Belle de Mai perform their own texts about the women they embody or dream of being.
8:30pm > Karaoke Les Plus Belles de Mai
Shared meal – Bring your favorite dish!
Saturday April 20th
Les Délices de Praia
Owner Vanny
18h > Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Barbara Sarreau – Dance and Performance
The beauty of things can be found around every corner, at every counter, in all of us, as long as we’re willing to see it. The extraordinary is here, at Les Délices de Praia.
18h45 > Les Haltes Merveilleuses – Cie Texte hors contexte
An original performative creation with and about Vanny, the owner of the bar.
7:15pm > Je suis F – Collectif Mira
7:30pm > Présence Manifeste – Maitena Barret
Exhibition preview – The painter has collected life stories and created portraits of women from the Belle de Mai area.
8:00 pm > Les Plus Belles de Mai Parade
Performance by local women from Belle de Mai and elsewhere, under the direction of dancer Anthony La Rosa. A flamboyant, unconventional and militant fashion show that ends on a dancefloor!
Saturday April 27th
Café du Théâtre
Owner Galia
16h30 > Cinéma Le Gyptis – Les Plus Belles de Mai
Tribute to Claude Chapiro Renard, a local icon
Film highlights by Jeff Comminges, Nicolas Roman Borré and Giuliana Zefferi
La Plage des Rebelles de Mai – Boulègue TV’s participatory film directed by Luc Sarlin and the women of the MPT Belle de Mai.
La Fabrique des Icônes – Film by Christophe Jarosz and Elise Lonmport produced as part of the Labo des Désirs “Les Plus Bel(le)s de Mai” project.
6:30pm > Le Gyptis cinema entrance hall – Natura Morta – Milane
Cathala di Fabrizio, Francesca Ziviani, Enzo Châlons – Dance and Performance
With humor, virtuosity and a frenzied rhythm, this choreographic performance seeks to divert the parts of the female body sexualized by society.
7.15pm > Place Caffo – Amélia – Flavio Franciulli
Inspired by the writings of Brazilian poetesses and singers, Flavio, a Franco-Brazilian acrobatic actor living in Marseille, offers an aerial performance in the public space and a vibrant, poetic and corporal tribute to the solitude of women, particularly that of single mothers in Brazil.
8.15pm > Les Haltes Merveilleuses – Cie Texte hors
context
An original performative creation with and about Galia the owner.
8:40 pm > Je suis F – Collectif Mira
9pm > Place Caffo – Concert Sayon Bamba
The AfroPop music of this established Guinean and Marseilles-based artist tells the stories of women who aspire to freedom, without complexes or taboos.
Saturday May 04
BarJo
Owner Camille
18h00 > Légitime Présence – Corinne Pontana – Dance and Performance
“I am at home, in public we all are, I dance. Serene rather than courageous, present rather than absent, poised rather than evasive, I dance. It’s okay to dream.”
19h15 > Les Haltes Merveilleuses – Cie Texte hors
context
An original performative creation with and about
Camille, the owner.
8pm > Je suis F – Collectif Mira
8:30pm > Ker Maloya – Women’s choir
This powerful music from Reunion Island has its roots in African, Malagasy and Indian slaves, fused with European musical influences. Let us take you on a journey that will set the dance-floor on fire!
Throughout the Festival…
Le Gyptis cinema lobby and Bar Jo
Photo exhibition by Francis Helgorsky – Les Plus Bel(l)es de Mai
Maison Pour Tous photo exhibition – Women in the Belle de Mai public space
Bar Les délices de Praia
Painting exhibition by Maitena Barret – Présence Manifeste – Portraits of women from Belle de Mai
Les Plus Belles de Mai workshops
Anthony La Rosa
March 4 to 8
Dance workshops on identity, transformation and cross-dressing, as part of the Labo des Désirs program, in preparation for the parade performance presented on April 13 and 20. KLAP Maison pour la Danse hosted a performance on March 8. The performer was Anthony La Rosa, a Kelemenis&cie dancer who grew up in Belle de Mai.
We look forward to seeing you there!