Marking the occasion of the International Day of the Francophonie on 20 March, The French language will be in the spotlight in Wallonia and Brussels over 10 days, organised by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation – which represents Belgian Francophones.
From Saturday, and for the next 10 days, the operation “La langue française en fête” will be held, organised with the support of the Minister of Culture Bénédicte Linard. French Community of Belgium
Organised by the French Community of Belgium, the aim of the initiative is to invite both young and old people to play with the French language as a driver of creativity and personal development. Various activities will be organised until 26 March throughout the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, including writing workshops, sound exhibitions, typography workshops and poetry courses.
Every year, a “City of Words” is chosen to host each edition and act as the central venue of celebrations. In 2023, Verviers has been chosen.
On this occasion, several socio-cultural events will be organised throughout the city of Liège. Street performances, concerts, exhibitions and workshops are on the programme. It will also be possible to see giant banners, frescos and walls of expression in the heart of the city. All activities are free of charge, but it is advisable to book for events with a limited number of places.
As every year, the members of the Opale Network (Belgium, France, Switzerland, Quebec and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie) have also chosen ten words to celebrate the French language.
In 2023, the words année-lumière, avant-jour, dare-dare, déjà-vu, hivernage, lambiner, plus-que-parfait, rythmer, synchrone, and tic-tac were chosen.
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Since 2011, the French Community of Belgium has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation, which represents Belgian French-speakers rather than French people residing in Belgium. It has its own parliament, government, and administration.
Wallonia is home to 80% of all Francophone Belgians, with the remaining 20% residing in Brussels, which is the seat of parliament of the French Community.
