French Institute for Scotland

The French Institute (French: Institut français) in Edinburgh is a cultural centre promoting French language and French culture in Edinburgh and in Scotland and part of the wider Institut Français network around the world. It operates alongside the Institut français du Royaume-Uni in London and is administered by the French Foreign Ministry.

The Institute, located within the French consulate on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
Logo of the Institut Français.

It is co-located with Edinburgh's French consulate on the city's Royal Mile. The Institute itself comprises a cultural department, a courses department and a media library. It also hosts the Education officer for Scotland.

History

The former location of the Institute.

Founded in 1946 by René Massigli, Ambassador of France to the United-Kingdom, the French Institute was previously located in a row of townhouses in Randolph Crescent in Edinburgh's West End.

The Auld Alliance, which is the beginning of the friendship between Scotland and France against England was signed in 1295. In 1942, the General de Gaulle said about this alliance it was the « oldest alliance in the world ».

Directors of the French Institute for Scotland

  • 2010 - ... : Vincent Guérin
  • 2008 - 2010 : le secrétaire général a assuré la direction par interim
  • 2006 - 2008 : Anne Laval
  • 2003 - 2006 : Olga Poivre d'Arvor
  • 2001 - 2003 : Ashok Adicéam
  • 1997 - 2001 : Jean-Marc Terrasse
  • 1993 - 1997 : Stéphane Crouzat
  • 1987 - 1993 : Alain Bourdon
  • 1978 - 1980 : Pierre Alexandre
  • 1975 - 1978 : Michel Sciama
  • 1970s : Henry Monteagle
  • 1966 - 1969 : Georges Prudhomme
  • 1960s : René Escande de Messières (vers 1957)1

Activities

Cultural events

In 2011, for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the French Institute presented a show, 'Two Johnnies live upstairs', especially created for the building by the French compagny Mythos festival. This show has been selected as one of the highlights of 2011 by The Scotsman.[1] The French Institute is also involved in the Edinburgh cultural life and is a partner of the Cameo, Edinburgh and hosts the office of the French Film festival UK.

Exhibitions
YearMonthExhibition's nameArtists, colletives, and partners
2011January- FebruaryPhilippe La GautrièreRebel(le)
2011AprilVive la tapisserie 2 !Collective STAR
2011Mai - JuneCollection OneThe Photographers Collective
2011June - JulyRennes 1981Patrice Poch et Gildas Raffenel
2011JulyBulles, Jazz, Blues 'Quand la BD swingue !'Produced by Wallonie-Bruxelles International
2011OctoberParis exposéStudents from Stevenson College Edinburgh led by Alan McEwan and Jon Lee
Théâtre, cinéma, concerts...
YearMonthEventEvent's nameArtistsPartners
2011JanuarySpecialBrittany - Scotland year launch
2011FebruaryCinemaBretons shortsVivement lundi !The Filmhouse
2011MayMeetingBreton chefs meet Scottish productsStudents from the lycée hotelier (cookery school) of Dinard et Scottish chefs
2011JuneCinemaCinéconcerts : 'From Silent to loud'Five Bretons bands : Bikini Machine, Olivier Mellano, Laetitia Sheriff, Montgomery, NeirdA & Z3ROTentracks
2011AugustTheatre'Two Johnnies live upstairs'Mythos (festival)
2011NovemberConcert'Santa Cruz in Scotland'Santa Cruz

Activities

The Media Library organises activities for kids in French. L'Oreille Musicale, workshop about French music is new from 2011. On November edition, l'Oreille musicale invited the Breton band Santa Cruz to speak about their musical tastes and influences. The library is open all week days and access is free. By contrast, only the French Institute members can borrow documents.

Collection

Media Library's newspapers

The media library contains over 10.000 documents, mainly in French, about a lot of different aspects of France and French culture. You can find documents about literature, art, history, geography, humanities and children's literature. A lot of references book are available, like dictionaries, encyclopaedias and travel guides. The novel collection contain many novels by Scottish authors translated in French (e.g. Robert Louis Stevenson, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid).

You can read or borrow newspapers like: Libération, Le Monde, Le Point, general-interest magazines: ELLE, Les Inrockuptibles and more specialised magazines like Beaux-Arts and Positif. The CD & DVD shelves contain 1500 CDs (audio-books and music) and almost 1000 films and documentaries.

Language classes

Every term, about 500 students come to the Institute to learn French.

Bibliography

  • Alan John Steele (professeur à l'Université d'Édimbourg), L'Institut français d'Écosse, cinquante ans d'histoire, 1946–1996, Institut français d'Écosse, 1996, 85 p. (ISBN 978-095296830-6)
  • Alan John Steele, 60@ifecosse : 1946-2006, Institut français d'Écosse, 2006, 208 p. (ISBN 978-095296832-0)

References

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