Events & Festivals in Seine Maritime, Normandy

Face to face with abstract meaning…

To visit an art exhibition is to be confronted with a wholly different and very personal vision of the world.
Sometimes, you just won't get it... Some contemporary artists prime theme and discourse over the actual artwork. Yet, an exhibition is always an opportunity to be moved, intrigued, enchanted…

One has to keep an open mind. Thankfully for the public, there is nothing to lose - the one taking risks is the artist as he puts his inner-self in the spotlight for the world to see.

Brilliant and romantic.

The Rajko Orchestra will be offering spectators an intense magical moment. Founded in 1952, this emeritus orchestra has been developing and promoting the culture of improvisation. They have managed this based on a single factor: their unrivalled skill.

Talentum is a highly-reputed dance company; they focus on traditional styles, modern dance, operetta and in particular ballroom dancing. This flexible repertoire allows for rich and rounded performances.

With such skilled ensembles, you can be sure to fully experience the magic of Strauss's Waltzes…

Let loose the bargain-hunters!

The famed Puces rouennaises is probably the largest second-hand marketplace in the whole of Western France. This market has come to be associated with quality and good bargains, boasting an endless selection of trinkets, pottery, ceramics, linen, furniture, collectibles and more…

The items on sale come from the entire country, but also from bordering countries to the north… Some of the objects on sale are quite unique!

As every year, a portion of good on sale will be of exceptional quality (antiques, etc.), and with this in mind a number of experts will be on hand to give buyers a precise and trustworthy estimation.

Thrift-shoppers have found their heaven…

The Christmas Submarine!

Le Havre, port city par excellence, has everything going for it this Christmas season.

The celebration will have a unique ring to it this year, as a strange idea has been put in motion: why not have old and young experiencing the Christmas spirit on a submarine… "Madness!", some might think, and yet this is now possible thanks to this fascinating exhibition organised by the local town hall.

A cultural journey into the land of the Rom…

Discover the Tzigane (Gypsy) tradition during this spectacular show, a display of Eastern European folk music and dance. Hungarian, Romanian and Russian cultures will be brought into the limelight…

The dancers really let go, overcome by the heart-rending violins of traditional songs, but also by the emotional power of great gypsy operettas such as Francis Lopez's Le Vagabond Tzigane or Kálmál's Princess Czarda.

Pop music version 2.0

Deerhoof: the leading figure of a new breed of pop, an off-the-beaten-track, "noisy", powerful sound - this would be a fitting definition, but the band has softened its noise over the past few years (point in case, The Runners Four, their latest album). The result may be less ear-splitting, but with tracks like "Wrong Time Capsule" their talent leaves nothing to doubt.

Art comes full circle…

Originality guaranteed! Philippe Guesdon blends colours with wool thread or paper, his creations always being located in the most unheard-of places... Guesdon always knows how to add value to his contemporary artwork.

This latest piece revolves around the concept of the wheel and of the "labyrinthine machine"…

Jazz to rock your socks off…

Sanguisorba is a one of a kind band made up of four musicians: Anne Laure Poulain (vocals), Frédéric Jouhannet (violin), Rafaeu Quenehen (sax) and Antoine Berland (piano). The four of them live and breathe jazz, every day.

Swinging from modern jazz to classics, they display amazing energy and talent. Not to miss.

A life of swing…

Nicole Croisille, famed French singer and actress, has been working her magic on theatre stages and in television or recording studios for years now. Yet her success didn't happen in a day.

Croisille celebrated her "40 years on stage" anniversary in 1997. 40 years of concerts throughout the world, of tours, of songs and emotions… Her career has been eclectic, sometimes surprising her fans, and always with a fresh new act up her sleeve.

She has always been fascinated with jazz, an obsession which goes back to her teens. Her first performances were in Paris' jazz clubs, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in Denver, or in Chicago at the Play Boy Club. Thus it is only natural that she return to the stage for this major show, an homage to that legendary French jazzman, Claude Nougaro.

Pioneering…

Born in La Marsa in Tunisia in 1926 and having moved to Paris in 1946, Georges Koscas is one of the foremost representatives of geometric abstraction in France in the 40s and 50s. He was at the time seen as a radical, a pioneer, yet was so free and poetically inspired that this "radicalism" gave his works a unique ethereal quality.

This retrospective exhibition at the Fine-Arts museum in Rouen offers visitors a window into the life and work of an exceptional character, an independent artist unafraid of being misunderstood, confident in his art. Koscas cultivates this precious, poetic atmosphere which is his trademark.

A return to the rink.

After many years spent in the United States as a professional ice skater, B>Philippe Candeloro has decided to finish his career with a grand tour which he has titled Hello and goodbye.

Candeloro, a bronze medal finalist at the Lillehammer Olympics Games in 1994, will present eight different acts during the course of which all the characters he has performed in competition will make a return to the rink: Artagnan, the Godfather, Lucky Luke and many more. For the occasion, an additional 30 skaters will perform in homage to this great skater in his farewell tour!

The best of blues.

Chicken Shack was born of a meeting between musicians Stan Webb, Andy Silvester, Chris Wood and Christine Perfect. The quartet had their first album out in 1968, and even now forty years later this album is still considered a classic.

A few years later the musicians decided to pursue solo careers. Stan Webb kept the band's name though his style leans a bit more towards blues than they originally did - it was thanks to this change of style that he got to work with Champion Jack Duprée, an emeritus piano player.

Discover the world of dance…

This show evolves like a series of tableaux, potent scenes led by a variety of captivating musical ambiances.

With over 130 costumes, special effects, projections and set design, the dancers' performances couldn't be framed any better. The minds who put this show together are both very respected personages: Marc Barbieri and Agnès Marin. Show Dance takes us on a journey of recollection: Gene Kelly, Piaf, Marylin Monroe, West Side Story, Cabaret, the Broadway tradition… It will be a spectacular dance performance.

Back for good?

SPO Rouen Basket:
Rouen's team has been working its way up the board since 1998, and finally in 2005 they broke through into Pro A division. Unfortunately, only to fall back the next year…

So in 2008 the team managed a 1st position in Pro B, which opened the doors to the elite once again. This year they are hoping to manage a better performance than two years ago…

A seriously manly competition!

The Hockey Season is starting out with a bang this season. Rouen, the current champion, will be attempting to pull off a fifth title in eight years!

Nevertheless, the trophy won't come easy... Grenoble in particular, having won the 2007 title, has sharpened its claws since then; Briançon, the previous vice-champion, will be a serious contender, and Angers will, after an excellent 2007-2008 seaon, be playing to win.

Amateurs of body-checks and action-packed competitions will be simply overwhelmed by the testosterone-filled, enthusiastic, animalistic atmosphere… Spectators should remember to keep their eyes on Babtiste Amar from the Grenoble team, voted best player of the 2008 season.

Back for good?

SPO Rouen Basket:
Rouen's team has been working its way up the board since 1998, and finally in 2005 they broke through into Pro A division. Unfortunately, only to fall back the next year…

So in 2008 the team managed a 1st position in Pro B, which opened the doors to the elite once again. This year they are hoping to manage a better performance than two years ago…

A magical rendition of gospel and Negro spirituals

Holy Gospel Singers is a vocal ensemble that simply exudes talent and musical harmony. Their career has been prestigious, some have even worked with the highly-reputed 100 Voices Choir ensemble.
The Holy Gospel Singers pack their performances with endless energy and emotion. Be warned: these are often sell-out events!

Memories, sweet memories…

Nos Amours d'Operettes is a show that gathers the best and brightest of the operetta genre. Discover or rediscover Francis Lopez's Les Immortelles or Le Chanteur de México, true classics. The show will also feature some of the greastest Viennese operetta airs.

Self-styled madmen.

The group behind Open Heart Surgery (Overcome Records) like to shock. They openly admit to being completely haywire.
Having supported The Datsuns, Youngheart Attack, and Deviate in concert, among others, this time they have the stage to themselves.

The man who resuscitated the Jamaican sound.

It was during a long stay in prison that Trevor Sutherland (ex-leader of the group Vibrations) became Ijahman and wrote the sublime and now famous Jah Heavy Load.

In 1977, anxious to resuscitate the Jamaican sound of Sly and Robbie, Ijahman produced two of his most beautiful works which earned him international acclaim. The creation of his own label and his hit single I Do followed shortly after and stayed at the top of the English charts for six consecutive weeks in 1985.
Nowadays Ijahman is an internationally renowned figure and proves that he deserves it with frequent collaborations with Earl China Smith, Sly and Robbie, Ras Michael, Black Uhuru and many others.

Rouen's history laid out for you.

This exhibition will reveal the development of Rouen during the course of a century. Major events, cultural events… Discover a panoramic view of the "museum-city" over the years, and see how it was transformed from the early century until the present day.

Nice on ice!

In 1994, the French Cup entered the world of Professional Skating and has rapidly become a top event in the world of synchronized ice skating. Like synchronized swimming, this sport unites a group of individuals in the shared goal of producing a beautiful and synchronized performance.

Here, some of the best skaters from around the world compete for qualification in the world championships, at both junior and senior levels. If you love figure skating, don't miss out on this special and artistic event!

Conquering places.

At first associated with the punk and trash movement of the 80's, Claure Lévêque has today become an established, respected and yet highly alternative figure on the French arts scene.

Lévêque redefines exhibition spaces through his environmental creations: innovative lighting, sound and objects work together to create a unique and engaging atmosphere…

Kindertotenlieder is a contemporary dance show centred on the representation of terror and the intimately-linked representation of death. Once again, these are linked to the characteristics of human beings, such as bodily appearance and behaviour.

This fascinating dance piece links the representation of terror with what Freud called "the uncanny".

A magical tale.

Swan Lake is a magnificent piece, a libretto signer Vladimir Begichev on a score composed by Tchaïkovsky. Based on an old German legend, this particular piece was put together for the first time in 1877 at the Bolchoï Theatre in Moscow (directed by Semen Riabov, choreography by Julius Reisinger.

The public was at first unresponsive to this work, as ballet was never accompanied by a "symphonic" kind of classical music. The choreography was thus modified and the music rewritten in certain parts, and the performance in January 1895 was met with thunderous applause.

The day after he comes of age, prince Siegfried goes hunting. On the edge of a lake, he meets Odette, a swan by day and a woman by night. He falls hopelessly in love with her.
She tells him about her tragedy and the spell under which she has been placed.
She can only be rescued from her unhappy lot by a man who swears his love and loyalty to her. The prince agrees...

A ball unlike any other!

The Beau Geste company is back once again! This emblematic troupe, masters of free dance and comedy, is made up of three skilled performers: Dominique Boivin, Philippe Priasso et Christine Erbé. It was this last performer, Erbé, who founded the company. Now they have put together a new show made up of bits and pieces… Musical comedy, choreographed sections, and even dance-alongs! Swing from the mythical steps of "West Side Story" to a sort of samba-disco straight from the "Rocky Horror Picture Show"!

Everyone is invited, so be sure to bring family and friends along for a great evening!

The North conquers all.

Saint Thomas Basket Le Havre :
Le Havre's team could only bow before the Roanne team in the play-off quarter finals, ending up in a 5th position in the 2008 French Championship.

Coached by Christian Monschau, Saint-Thomas Basket will be working to repeat last year's performance; they will have to count on Pape Sy or T.H. Thompson to get them through a championship that has gone a long way in the past few years.

Songs of love and

Abdel Aziz Ahouzar is a vocalist with a passion. His lyrics speak of love, in the traditional sense but also in terms of his connection to his home country, Morocco.

Ahouzar is an established performer and a skilled songwriter: his melodies are gripping, enchanting and highly addictive. Don't miss out on this excellent live performance.

Admire portraits from the ages.

The Maison de l'Armateur in Le Havre will be presenting a collection of portraits that are intimately linked to the building itself. The Foache family, owner of the house until 1836, married into the Begouen Demeaux family, and both are the subjects of some excellent portraits signed Alexandre Roslin and Guillaume Voiriot.

A dangerous newcomer.

Le Havre :
Jean-Marc Nobilo's young troops will be facing the elite after a well-deserved victory in Ligue 2 - from now on they will be battling the titans of the French clubs.

Thus the Normandy team will have to maintain a solid season if they don't want to be relegated, once again, to League 2.

Explore the artwork of a port city.

Le Havre is among those French and Euopean cities whose identity was defined by port activity. A panoramic view of the local museum's collections are a reflection of a culture which is intimately tied to a port city economy.

The Malraux museum in Le Havre will be presenting a major exhibition made up of over 160 works (including 48 photographs) revolving around the "port" theme. In particular, the exhibition will focus on the port as a major emblem, and how this image mutated from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th.

Pictures from beyond the grave…

By looking through some 3 000 photographs of the reconstruction process in Normandy in the two post-war decades, researchers at the National Archives came across a small goldmine of documentary material… Dealing with two areas in particular, Rouen and Petit-Quevilly, these pictures amazed historians for their Atget-like precision and a humaneness comparable to that of Doisneau.

Forgotten in the archives of the ancient Ministry of Reconstruction and Urbanism, these pictures are the subject of a major exhibition split over both towns (Rouen and Petit-Quevilly) displaying 120 modern 30x30 prints based on the original negatives.

Booming brass and Gypsy tunes.

This furious fanfare takes Gypsy music world with the booming presence of brass instruments to create a strong musical world turned towards the Rom or "Tzigane" tradition of Eastern Europe. Percussions, trumpets, a banjo and accordion bring a certain festive air, a populist taste for downright fun that is ideal both in concert on stage or parading through the streets of a city.

A cultural highpoint…

The Festival Automne in Normandy is celebrating its third edition after two years of hugely popular classical music. With 42 000 spectators in 2007, none can doubt that the programme will feature something for just about every possible taste.

Once again this year you can expect about a hundred performances and some highly unusual and innovative works, with great artists such as Vincent Dumestre or Joël Pommerat…

The story of a life.

The Pavilion retraces the life of Gustave Flaubert: the room where he was born, his souvenirs, ceramics, pharmaceutical products, surgical instruments, documents on childbirth (an 18th century anatomical figure illustrating the process of delivery), hospital furniture, statues of saints known for their healing powers. The medicinal herb garden is also fascinating.

War and Liberation in 1944.

It is late August 1944. Tens of thousands of German soldiers are trying to flee the Allied troops. Yet, the bridges across the Seine have been destroyed and their retreat is slow and chaotic. For days the Allied artillery and air raids cut into the masses crowded up against the river. The death-count is unimaginable.

The British and Canadian forces are breaking through the last bastions of German defences and finally liberate the civilian population.

The musée Août 1944 is a reminder of those tragic times of warfare and bitter struggle, and of the relief felt by an entire nation. You can gain a better understanding of these world-shaking events by reading the testimonies of soldiers and civilians, by seeing a collection of everyday objects, now artefacts…

The Museum's new life.

An unusual journey in itself, Rouen Museum is a place where time seems to have stood still. Since it was first founded in 1828 by Rouen scientist Félix-Archimède Pouchet, it was managed until 1965 by only three curators, each of whom left his mark on the history of the museum. Encyclopaedic minds, each the disciple of his predecessor and each respecting the curatorship of his mentor, left the museum with an extraordinary sense of uniformity.
In addition to the museum's own acquisition policy, the collections have constantly been swelled by donations from scientists and also from navigators, returning from their distant expeditions with objects from all over the world.
By a natural process, the museum has thus become one of the last witnesses in France to what the museums of the early 20th century once were.

Le Havre by the sea.

Spend 1h30min aboard the "Ville de Fécamp" to discover France's leading freight and container port.
The many activities of the port of Le Havre are best appreciated from the sea. Weather permitting, you will sail along the coastline of Le Havre to appreciate the town that was rebuilt after the Second World War by Auguste Perret, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Timeless Corneille...

Pierre Corneille is one of France's greatest 17th century playwrights.
Born in Rouen in 1606, the son of a magistrate, Corneille was initially destined for a career in the law. Life was to decide otherwise, however. It was after suffering a disappointment in love in 1629 that he began writing poetry and his first play.
With comedies such as Clitandre, La Veuve, La Galerie du Palais, La Suivante, La Place Royale, Médée and L'Illusion comique, he created a new form of theatre in which tragic sentiments were expressed in a contemporary context.
Corneille went on to become an "official" playwright to Cardinal Richelieu, writing plays glorifying nobility, such as the famous Le Cid.
He was elected to the Académie Française in 1647. His plays began to enjoy less success, however, with competition from Jean Racine, whose plays were more sentimental and less heroic than those of his rival.
Corneille never ceased experimenting with new ideas, however, and later returned to Greek tragedy in Oedipe.
After a life of triumphs and disappointments, Corneille died in Paris on 1 October 1684.

Unrivalled in Europe.

Since 1921, the church of Saint-Laurent (15th and 16th century) has housed a collection of wrought ironwork that was and is a reference of its kind in Europe.
Its donor Henri Le Secq des Tournelles made over to the city of Rouen the first methodical collection of ironwork, begun in 1862 by his father Jean-Louis Le Secq Destournelles (1818-1882).

The latter, a member of the Mission Héliographique mounted by Prosper Mérimée to take photographs of outstanding monuments on behalf of the French Monuments Historiques department, was at once a practical, hands-on man, a painter and an art-lover. His was the original idea of taking an interest in hitherto overlooked objects: he began acquiring, from demolition sites as well as on the art market, every article of outstanding ironwork that he could find, with the exception of arms and armour, which others were already collecting.

The genius and the mountain.

Victor Hugo, poet, literary master and author of such great works as Les Misérables, Choses vues, Notre-Dame de Paris, Dernier jour d'un condamné, was also driven into exile on account of his passionate opposition to the imperialism of Napoleon III, brandishing the written word like a sword.

Over 5 centuries of the history of ceramics.

The museum is built around the core collection amassed by André Pottier (1799-1867), author of Histoire de la faïence de Rouen.
Established temporarily (1870) in a gallery in the cloister of the former convent of Sainte-Marie, already home to the Antiquities Museum of the Seine-Inférieure, the Ceramics Museum was officially opened on 15 August 1864.
The municipal collection of faïence remained here until February 1888, when it was transferred to the first floor of the new Musée des Beaux-Arts.
In the 1930s, there was talk of setting up a separate Ceramics Museum to offset the lack of space caused by the steady growth of the collections of both paintings and ceramics.

The Hôtel d'Hocqueville, built in 1657 and redecorated in the 18th century, was acquired for the purpose in 1936, but it took another half-century for the project to reach completion.
The collection was finally transferred to the new museum in 1984.

The collection currently contains some 6,000 exhibits, ranging from the simple ceramic tile to monumental busts, two thirds of which were made in Rouen, giving the museum monographic status.
The visitor is offered a full historic and aesthetic overview, beginning with the first production of faïence by Masséot Abaquesne in the mid 16th century, then the second wave which began with Edme Poterat in 1647, flourished in the following century and disappeared at the beginning of the 19th century.

Orchestra and beginners, please!

If you have a hankering for getting up on stage and revealing your talents, the Bateau Ivre is the place for you on an open-mike night at la Goguette. As well as the microphones and piano already in place, feel free to bring along your own instruments and show what you can do.

Clear-skies, zero-gravity, and a healthy dose of adrenaline…

Ever dream of simply falling through the air, of being so high up you see the curve of the horizon and yet feel no fear whatsoever?

Well wake up because this is IT! Just take a deep breath, say a little prayer, check your straps and jump... And don't forget to look down or you'll miss all the fun!

Experience sky-diving, the thrill of a lifetime.

Gentleman burglar.

The Clos Arsène Lupin, which opened to the public in Etretat in 1999, recounts the life and memory of Maurice Leblanc, creator of the famous Arsène Lupin.
The visit is divided into 7 stages to create an original, entertaining adventure in the footsteps of the most famous and most charming of burglars.

A rich natural heritage.

The Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine Normande lies between Rouen and Le Havre, in the Eure and the Seine-Maritime départements. Shaped by the meanders of the Seine, the area provides glorious panoramas and sweeps of well-watered meadows. Plateaux, valleys and hillsides carved out by the river make up the landscapes of the five natural regions of the Park: the Seine valley, the Pays de Caux, the Roumois, the Basse Vallée de la Risle and the Marais Vernier.
Three abbeys, rural museums, châteaux and thatched cottages forge the identity of the Park's cultural heritage. The wetlands, the Park's ecological highlight, sink into soft silences, punctuated by pollarded trees.
There are natural sites to be visited in the Marais Vernier and the Basse Vallée de la Risle, with or without a guide. These habitats, which are of vital importance to the Park as a whole, are the subject of special awareness and preservation campaigns.

Everyone on horse-back!

The Centre Equestre du Havre Rouelles is located in the centre of the 6 hectare Parc de Loisirs de la Bouteillerie and offers a wide range of horse-riding activities.

All disciplines are covered, from the classics (dressage, show jumping) to less formal activities such as horse-ball or voltige.
Courses, lessons, initiation, etc. Instructors for every level from beginner to experienced rider.
The Centre has 60 loose-boxes, a tack-room, 2 schooling rings, 2 covered schools, a cross-country course and a field equipped for staging competitions.

In honour of the dada artist.

Seven educational exchange projects involving the permanent collections of the FRAME (French Regional & American Museum Exchange) museums, financed by the Annenberg foundation, were chosen for 2006.
The Musée des Beaux-Arts, in association with the Denver Art Museum and the Dallas Museum of Art, put forward a project based on Marcel Duchamp. To mark the occasion, a new permanent exhibition room features the works of Marcel Duchamp and theAndré Raffray cycle illustrating his life.
The visitor can settle comfortably to consult at leisure a range of visual and sound archives.
The collaboration between the three partner museums also culminated in a musical work commissioned from Paul D. Miller alias DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid, an author and conceptual artist living in New York.