How Festival d’Avignon program is shaped: Notes from the talk with Magda Bizarro in Kyiv
In March, at the invitation of Insha Osvita, Festival d’Avignon Programming Co-Director Magda Bizarro visited Kyiv. On March 10, Magda gave a public talk about the history and structure of the Festival d’Avignon, its influence on the international scene, and how programming decisions are made. The conversation was moderated by Olga Diatel — an independent producer, founder of the Antonin Artaud Fellowship, and co-founder of Insha Osvita.
The event was held in partnership with the Franko Theatre.
Olga Diatel: The most common questions about the festival are: what is the algorithm, and how can one become part of the festival and its program? What should or should not be done if there is a desire to be presented internationally? Also, what responsibility do festivals bear for all the events taking place in the world?
I first attended the Festival d’Avignon in 2022, when, due to the selection of performances, there were many Russian-speaking audience members, which felt unsafe. However, since 2023 — with the new team — the situation has improved.
It is important to understand that there is the Festival d’Avignon “In” — the festival’s official program, curated by the programming department. And there is “Off” — a self-organized program in which anyone can participate if they find the resources and opportunities to organize it.
Magda Bizarro: For me, this trip to Kyiv and the opportunity to see the context in which artists work and create is very important. It is equally important to begin with the history of the festival.
The Festival d’Avignon was founded in 1947 in the city of Avignon by the French actor and director Jean Vilar. It was established two years after the Second World War as an opportunity to realize a utopian vision of reconnecting Europe. France was divided, and reunification was a difficult task. The festival created an opportunity for everyone to be on the same side — the side of the audience — watching a performance together.
Thus, it was a tool for rebuilding Europe, based on democratic values and principles of public service. Audience members came from different income levels. Avignon is often called a “Popular Festival” “people’s festival”: a carpenter may sit next to a doctor or a politician. Ticket prices are affordable, and there are special ticket rates for young people and the unemployed. The festival seeks ways to ensure that everyone can have access to the venues and see the performances.
Avignon is a fortified city that served as the papal residence during the 14th century. It contains many churches and monastic buildings. It is a museum city with a population of around 90,000 residents, which transforms into a major regional center during the festival, welcoming up to 300,000 visitors. The festival takes place throughout the city’s buildings and venues. The main venue is the Cour d’honneur, the inner courtyard of the Palais des Papes. Among the festival’s many locations is La FabricA, built by the festival and opened in 2013. This space is used year-round for artistic residencies and rehearsals before performances at the Palais des Papes.
The festival presents 45% French-language productions and 55% non-French-language productions
There is no distinction between French and international works, but rather between languages. French-language productions may come from Rwanda, Canada, or Switzerland. It is a highly eclectic program. It is very open in terms of linguistic diversity. In addition to performances, discussions, conversations with artists, film screenings, and readings are an important part of the festival. The first non-French-language work presented by Jean Vilar was in 1968. It was The Living Theatre from New York.
The festival also includes an “Itinerant Project” presented in small villages around Avignon for audiences who cannot travel to the city to see performances. These are usually French-language productions created by international directors such as Milo Rau, Marianno Pensotti and Tim Etchells.
Starting in 2023, a new tradition was introduced: each year, the festival selects an official guest language (langue invitée). The decision regarding the guest language is made by the festival team long before the program is assembled. In this way, it influences how artists are sought out and researched.
The decision regarding the guest language is made by the festival team long before the program is assembled. In this way, it influences how artists are sought out and researched
In 2023, it was decided that English would be the festival’s guest language. We wanted to provide more opportunities for everyone to watch performances and to access productions presented in both English and French. We wanted to break down this barrier because, despite the geographical proximity of the United Kingdom and France, their artistic scenes rarely intersect and seldom present each other’s projects. Since English is spoken in many places, it is the native language of many regions around the world. Therefore, we naturally included performances from the United States and Nigeria. We tried to discover and present productions from different regions where English is spoken.
It is important to remember that behind the spread of English, Spanish, or Arabic lies a complex history of colonization that has influenced the destinies of First-Nations peoples around the world. How does language tell that story? English contributed to the transformation of many languages that existed in different parts of the world, but it has also been transformed itself. In this way, we highlight how the world changes.
In 2024, the guest language was Spanish, and the program included many performances from South America. A group from Catalonia was invited into the program, but only Angelica Lidell based in Madrid was invited, and this was a political decision by the festival. In 2025, the guest language was Arabic. Today, Russian language and the sense of danger associated with it have already been mentioned.
Because when we chose Arabic, we certainly did not feel safe. We did not feel safe during the festival. And we still do not feel safe. The festival’s artistic director, Tiago Rodrigues, received more than 70 threats because of the Festival’s choiсe to welcome Arabic as the guest language.
So, of course, the choice of language is a political decision. But it is also a way of talking about the world — not only about the present but also about what happened in the past. Arabic is also a global language, and we wanted to talk about that.
The guest language of 2026 is Korean. It is not a global language; it is spoken in Korea. It is a local language, a very local one. It was intentionally created. We are interested in how a local language and culture can become so influential — as in the case of K-pop and Korean television series, which have changed how people perceive Korea. I first visited Korea in 2022. Therefore, building a program is a long process. You need to see many performances and meet many artists because the choice of language depends significantly on the artists you encounter for the first time.
Olga Diatel: How far in advance do you plan the program?
Magda Bizarro: The festival program is planned three years ahead, especially for major venues such as the Cour d’honneur and the Carrière de Boulbon. However, we have 40 venues, so planning for some locations may be shorter-term.
It is important to understand that we are a creation-oriented festival. The festival does not simply present completed performances or artistic projects; it actively participates in their creation and development. The festival’s mission is to shape a highly eclectic program. A visitor may attend four or five performances in a single day. Therefore, when we design the program, we pay attention to ensuring that the performances throughout the day are varied.
The festival program includes approximately 300 events taking place over 22 days across 40 venues. Attendance over the past three years has ranged between 93% and 98% of available seats.
The co-production budget is determined by the number of tickets sold the previous year
Therefore, decisions regarding budgets and co-productions can only be made in September. The number of tickets sold at this year’s festival affects the scale of co-productions for the following year. Thus, visitor numbers are extremely important.
Many people are interested in building partnerships with Ukrainian artists. For us, it is important to see the performances we present. Often, the performance shown at the festival is not the first work by a director that we have seen. Frequently, it is the artist’s second or third work. Usually, we invite the next creation, so we can welcome a world premiere in Avignon. It almost never happens that I see a performance and immediately invite it to the festival because such decisions require time.
Olga Diatel: A reminder that if you want international recognition, it is a good idea to start by learning languages. If you know English, learn French, German, or any other language that may be useful.
Question from the audience: Who makes programming decisions? Is it a team decision?
Magda Bizarro: We have weekly management meetings. The group includes:
- The Festival Director.
- The Festival Finance Director, who often says, “No, we will not do that because there is no money.”
- The Technical and Production Directors, who focus on practical implementation.
- The person responsible for ticket sales.
- The person responsible for sponsorship and fundraising.
- Two programming curators.
This group engages in regular discussions, often extremely detailed ones. When we decide to present a work, I immediately write to a large number of people who may potentially be interested in becoming partners.
Question from the audience: How does it happen that you discover the work of new artists whom you later decide to program? Where do you find them — at other festivals or by chance? What is the decision-making mechanism?
Magda Bizarro: I travel a great deal. I watch not only festivals but also try to see other places and meet other people. I have seen extraordinary works in foreign languages without fully understanding what was being said on stage. That is one reason why I speak several languages. Otherwise, when people invite you to see performances in a language you do not know, you end up being invited only to dance performances because there are no words. I try to understand who the artists are and what they are exploring. Every time I am in a new city, I try to see more than what is officially offered to me: I go into garages and unconventional spaces.
Sometimes I see a work that is not suitable for Avignon but is perfect for another event. Quite often, I call or send messages with recommendations.
The Festival d’Avignon audience is very demanding. If you do not present the right proposal to the audience, an artist may face sharp criticism and considerable pressure. We always discuss whether the artist is “prepared” to accept such challenges. It is a term that I don’t like to use, but it is important that the artist has solidity in the work and confidence in his/her proposal, to come to a Festival like Avignon, that welcomes more than 125,000 spectators during 3 weeks, every July.
Notes from the conversation prepared by: Viktoriia Khoroshylova and Olga Diatel