Festival d'Avignon was founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar. Vilar's goal was to make theatre accessible to a wider audience by presenting productions outdoors and in a festival setting. In the legendary open-air theatre Cour d'Honneur of the Palais des Papes important new works were presented by Robert Wilson (Einstein on the Beach, 1976), Peter Brook, Ariane Mnouchkine and Pina Bausch, among others. In 2010, the festival introduced associate artists such as Jan Fabre and Simon McBurney. In 2013, an artist was appointed as artistic director for the first time, Olivier Py. He was succeededin 2022 by Portuguese actor and writer Tiago Rodrigues.
The aim of the festival is to present around fourty new French and international productions per year. Festival d'Avignon wants to be an international meeting place for new developments in the performing arts. Besides theatre, dance and film, there are activities in the fields of literature and philosophy. In his four-year appointment, Tiago Rodrigues intends to focus on the democratic potential of theatre and on international connections where each year the focus will be on a different language(area).
Project supported by Ammodo
New (co)production (2023-2027)
