Educational programme
Every year, the educational department offers a course to raise awareness of opera, in the form of as a series of meetings organised over time and a project for the creation of new musical works, uniting both amateurs and industry professionals.
RAISING AWARENESS
The educational department implements three courses to raise awareness of opera, singing and the performing arts, structured around the Festival d’Aix programme, and constructed in function of the age and class of the student.
Each course is created in tandem with the pedagogical team and take into account the organisation’s or establishment’s educational, cultural and social project. It begins with a training session for the instructors during the month of December, and utilises online resources, teaching kits and digital applications. The courses focus on collective artistic practice, thanks to workshops offered by multidisciplinary project ambassadors and artists, all partners of Passerelles.
In partnership with the artistic and technical departments, Passerelles organises numerous meetings and conversations with all Festival d’Aix stakeholders, from the artists to the technical and occasional workers from the set construction workshops, the costume production workshops and the theatre sets of productions.
- Introductory course: intended for the youngest age group, to help them discover the genre of opera and its multiple facets in a playful and creative manner.
- Discovering-opera course: designed to prepare students to attend a performance of a Festival production in the best conditions possible, and to provide them with the necessary tools to understand and enjoy the performance.
- Professional course: designed for students in vocational courses and apprentices with particular emphasis on professions in the performing arts and in set design.
The awareness-raising initiatives are a part of the cultural initiatives of the Académie d’Aix-Marseille and the Académie de Nice. They are conducted in partnership with the Conseil Départmental 13 (for secondary schools) and the Région Sud for students in technical and vocational training.
UNIVERSITY
The Festival d’Aix is partners with Aix-Marseille University (AMU) and proposes several initiatives aimed at students from different campuses and to teachers.
Vocal Practice Workshops: these weekly workshops for vocal practice are led by the opera singer Tania Zolty and available to students of all levels.
In April 2023, meet the participants of the Vocal practice workshop on the occasion of the Passerelles season presentation and the Journées Arts et culture de l’Enseignement Supérieur.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
EV’AMU, a vocal ensemble: Aix-Marseille University and the Festival d’Aix have partnered to create EV’AMU, a vocal ensemble open to AMU students and staff. Conducted by Philippe Franceschi, this vocal ensemble helps members who already have musical and vocal experience. By joining forces, AMU and the Festival d'Aix aim to ensure that EV'AMU’s musical quality continues to progress and that their artistic ambitions flourish.
On 9 June 2023, EV'AMU will perform as part of the Aix en Juin programme.
These actions are supported by Aix-Marseille University.
Some of the educational department’s activities are included in the ‘Pass Culture’ group offer.
PROJECTS FOR AMATEUR ARTISTIC PRACTICE – 2023
For its 15th anniversary, the Passerelles educational department is supporting projects for the creation of two concerts programmed as part of the opening weekend of Aix en Juin:
- Under the direction of Philippe Franceschi, and alongside Ensemble C Barré, an instrumental musical group directed by Sébastien Boin, EV’AMU will be performing in concert at the Hôtel Maynier d’Oppède, where it will premiere a piece by the composer Christina Athinodorou commissioned by the Festival.
- The 18 musicians of The Very Big Experimental Toubifri Orchestra are returning for a residency in 2023 to share their energetic and eclectic musical universe with secondary school orchestras in the region. They will present their new collective creation on 10 June as part of Aix en Juin.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE OPENING WEEKEND OF AIX EN JUIN
With the support of
