Program

On the river Niger and its banks, the Festival brings a fresh wind to Segou and shows the image of a town with a rich history and open to the world.

To 03 at 07 February 2010 we'll offer you a rich and varied program.

Forum
Each year the Festival organises a forum about themes that are important for the Malian society. In the Forum lecturers from around the world come together to create realistic debates that result in concrete recommandations.
The Forum is becoming an international discussion platform. The theme will be: " Culture and Governance".

Traditional manifestations form Segou region
Music, dance and puppets from the Segou basin are all ancestral rites of the region and are the living proof of its big cultural richness of the ancestral rites of the region.
The Festival reserves a primordial place for these manifestations, that contribute to the preservation and the promotion of these artistic expressions, that form the cultural heritage of the region.
Research permitted us to make an inventory of 15 different styles of dances and puppetry of the Segou region. The Festival has established a solid and respectful collaboration with different representatives (Bambaras, Bozos, Somonos, Korédugaw, Chasseurs...) of these artistic expressions in Segou and in surrounding villages in order to make the visitors of the festival discover this fabulous potential.
This year Segou will welcome traditional artists from Kayes region

The Concerts
Famous Malian and other West African artists are asked to participate in the Festival. The presence of these stars permits us to ensure a national and international excitement to the event. We think it's important that these artists invest themselves in the large cultural projects of their country.
Additionally, the Festival wishes to promote young, promising, artistic endeavors. A program based on research on the actual musical scenes could provide a meaningful and potentially successful forum for young Malian talent.
There will be a « discovery » stage for this purpose.
Concerts will tak eplace on Friday 05 th, Saturday 06 th and Sunday 07 february 2010. The schedules will soon available on our website.

Art exhibitions
The Festival has the ambition to make Segou into the Capital of Visual Arts. Segou has been since long the Bogolan town and counts as its own, some less known young talents, but also internationally well known artists such as Dolo Amahigueré. Therefore we can confidently say that the town is a reference in the field of Visual Arts and the Festival will ameliorate this status by creating an international meeting of visual artists.
The theme of the Art exhibitions 2010 will be "Water":
      - An international exhibition in the « Korè » gallery at the quay of arts,
      - An exhibition of the famous Malian sculptor, Amahiguiré Dolo, in his new exhibition center « Anemy Sculpture »,

Tales and Legends from Segou
Tales occupy an important place in African cultures. They play a role in education, information, exchange and leisure, but also play a social role by approaching different generations and ensuring that important traditions and information are not list on the future generations of Malians.
Segou and its region have a rich history and culture, often transformed in a legend. Segovians (people from Segou) are rightfully proud of these tales.
The rich history of Segou, the epics of its grand personalities and its myths are told to the festival goers during an « Evening under the balanzan». Story-tellers, accompanied by musicians, actors and puppets bring Segou's past alive again under the Balanzan tree (the region's legendary tree).

Workshops
Workshops are an integral part of the Festival. By teaching craft techniques, the workshops will become a rich and concrete meeting place that permit craftsmen to encourage people to discover their trade and skills as well as to learn about local craft techniques. This type of initiative provides endless opportunities, among which are to develop genuine relationships, based on the exchange of knowledge and a sincere desire to begin to form the basis of understanding different cultures.

The Fair
The Craft and Agricultural Fair gathers various arts and techniques of the area on the Festival site. During one week the craftsmen and the transformers of agricultural products showcase their work and thus have a good opportunity to trade.

Resistance through Culture
Through this component, the Festival sur le Niger will invest more in sustainable development of culture, particularly with:
1. The organization of an arts contest (children and adults) and traditional braids;
2. A "Floating Conference" on the Niger River on the theme "Local Knowledge and Globalisation";
3. The mentoring and training of young talents (artists, musicians) through:
    - Selection and training of approximately ten young talents at the information and tourism center and the Korè Gallery for art exhibits (both managed by the Festival in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture;
    - Organization of workshops with well-known artists (02/year) at the Korè Gallery;
    - Organization of art exhibits (03/year) ) at the Korè Gallery;
    - Development of Cultural Entrepreneurship.