In the wake of a delegation’s trip to London in early December 2023, let’s take a look at what’s coming up in 2024 and beyond to celebrate the bonds between Normandy and England.
William the Conqueror’s 1000th birthday: a cultural tribute that goes beyond borders
Normandy is getting ready to celebrate William the Conqueror’s 1000th birthday in 2027, a historical icon who was the Duke of Normandy and King of England.
The cultural and popular event will be celebrated outside Normandy and take the party atmosphere to European countries that share the region’s history, including England, Ireland, Southern Italy, Sicily and the Channel Islands.
The Normandy delegation discussed several major projects during their London trip. There will be heritage exhibitions, artistic performances, conferences, talks, educational programmes and a French/English tourist trail in collaboration with leading museums and institutions. They include the British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, English Heritage, British Library, Historic Royal Palaces and Tower of London plus the National Archives.
A delegation from London will visit Normandy in 2024 to continue discussions and finalise the events.
Ties between Normandy and England on-screen
After Pierre-Antoine Capton’s Mediawan group announced a French series in October 2023, there’s a new English series about William the Conqueror in the pipeline. The BBC will broadcast the show to our English chums with two famous names expected to star: James Norton as Harold and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) as William.
The Normandie Impressionniste Festival paints a pretty picture of British art!
The Normandie Impressionniste Festival unveiled its line-up during the London trip and will be held from March 22nd to September 22nd 2024. This year is going to be extra special as it celebrates 150 years of Impressionism with 150 events and over 100 artists, including famous Brits such as David Hockney, Oliver Beer and Sean Scully.
Exhibitions designed especially for the festival will showcase the amazing artistic bonds between Normandy and Great Britain. The Musée de Dieppe will host “Before and After Impressionism” collections from the UK with Grégory Chatonsky. The contemporary artist uses artificial intelligence to transform the experience of the photographic landscape. Davide Quayola will be the special guest at La Villa du Temps Retrouvé in Cabourg. The London-based Italian artist will exhibit a series of digital pieces entitled Storms, depicting the stormy seas in Cornouailles and made using bespoke software.
The Festival will also explore how Monet and Pissaro’s travels to London influenced their work. Corneille Chapel in Rouen will perform pieces by the famous composer Benjamin Britten with a musical installation devoted to Les Illuminations.
The union between Normandy and England marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration, building cultural and artistic bridges that span borders. The upcoming events will both celebrate our shared history and fuel contemporary creation!
Let's take a closer look at the ambassadors network
The Normandy ambassadors living across the Channel rallied up for the delegation’s trip. The London ambassadors club got together and learnt about the exciting schedule at a casual after work event and Normandy party at the French Embassy.
Thematics
