The French Language & Francophone Week, Mar. 19-24 2012 @ Alliance
The French language and Francophone week was initiated in 1995 by French Ministry of Culture and Communication with the aim of promoting the French language widely and is marked annually around March 20th, World Francophone Day. It is an occasion to celebrate a language that unites over 200 Million people around the world, bringing together a diversity of cultures that continue to enrich the language and promote peace, democracy and human rights.
Date: March 20, 2012
Play: Allah is not obliged (A play in French with English sub-titles)
Time: 7pm
Entry: Free
Date: March 21, 2012
Competition*: international writing competition in French
*Open to Alliance Francaise students level B and above
Dates: March 21-27, 2012
Interactive Schools visit: Open to all schools teaching French
Time: 9am-12pm
NB: Registration in advance required
Dates: March 21-24, 2012
Francophone Films: Films with English sub-titles
Time: weekdays 6pm and weekend 3pm
Entrance: Free
Exhibition: Being Wanjiku, Mar. 8-31 2012 @ Alliance
Dates: March 8-31, 2012
Venue: Alliance Française Exhibition Gallery
Wanjiku: Enigma, Allegory, Metaphor or Image?
In the 1990s, then-President Moi, responding dismissively to popular pressure for constitutional reform, posed the rhetorical question ‘What does Wanjiku want with a constitution?’ He thus unwittingly created the phenomenon of ‘Wanjiku’ who has since then become ubiquitous in the Kenyan public imagination and discourse as a way of gesturing to ‘public opinion’, the ‘common person’, or the ordinary mwanainchi. Although it might seem encouraging that “Wanjiku’ should emerge in the male-dominated world of the Kenyan public sphere, her appearance does not necessarily imply either a more equitable gender context in Kenya nor even an increased awareness to gender issues.
Wanjiku is successful as a popular icon because she is easily translatable into a number of different social contexts and because her persona is down-to-earth.
The participating women artists present their individual interpretation of ‘Being Wanjiku’.
Performance: The Vagina Monologues, Mar. 7 2012 @ Alliance
Date: March 7, 2012
Venue: Alliance Française Auditorium
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: Kshs 100/-
The Vagina Monologues have been put together by Naomi Mwaura, Sonnia Gitome, Lillian Itenya and Doris Angalo, with a cast of ten young actresses.
The award-winning play is based on V-Day Founder/playwright Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. With humor and grace the piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength.
The V-Monologues campaign is scheduled to tour various Kenyan universities in a bid to empower and emancipate Kenyan women.
Media Round Tables: Can the Kenyan media set the agenda for 2012 elections? Feb. 28 2012 @ Alliance
Media Focus on Africa (MFA) together with partners have the pleasure of inviting you to their February Media roundtable.
Venue: Alliance Francaise
Date: Tuesday, 28th February, 2012
Time: 12–2 pm
Entry: Free
TOPIC: “Media and Agenda Setting: Can the Kenyan media set the agenda for 2012 elections?”
PANELISTS
Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan (EBS), Chairman, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)
Ms. Jane Thuo, Executive Director, Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK)
Prof. Robert White, Lecturer, Institute of Peace and International Relations, Hekima College
Mr. Andy Kagwa, Senior Productions Editor (Weekend Editions), The Standard newspaper
Dr. Haron Mwangi, Executive Director, Media Council of Kenya
For more information, visit http://kenyamediaroundtables.org/
A PDF version of the invite is attached: February 2012 Media Roundtable Invite
Theatre: Talking Heads, Feb. 22-26 2012 @ Alliance
Talking heads by Alan Bennett, presented by the Arts Canvas
Dates: February 22-26, 2012
Venue: Alliance
Tickets: Adults Kshs 700 and Students Kshs 300
An evening of comedy, personal struggle, human fragility and search for meaning of life. These intimate and contrasting plays were first performed in Kenya in 1999. In Her big Chance, Lesley is a budding actress, reveals of all the uncertainties and excitements of showbiz and her search for the ‘big break’. The second Bed among Lentils examines life of Susan, the wife of a church minister who is living a double life.
This play is directed and performed by Mumbi Kaigwa
Movie: Eden is West, Feb 20 2012 @ Alliance Francaise
“Eden Is West” (2009, 1h50) is directed by modern Greek-French filmmaker Costa Gavras. It tells the drama of illegal immigrants in Europe.
It is playing at 6pm in the auditorium of the Alliance Francaise – free entry
For more information on the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1158936/
Series: Hot seat, Feb. 18 2012 @ Alliance
For more info. check their facebook event page
Play: [Oscar Wilde’s] A Woman of No Importance, Feb. 17-19 2012 @ Alliance
Strathmore Drama Society presents Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance (Abridged Version)
Date: Feb. 17-19, 2012
Venue: Alliance
Location: Loita/Montovia Street
Time: Friday 6pm and weekend 3 & 6pm
Tickets: Kshs 300 Advance & Kshs 400 at the Gate
Twenty two years ago, young George Kwalya was in love with the young, naive and beautiful Rachel and as it were they both fall victims of circumstances they did not anticipate. They had a son, Gerald out of wedlock a completely unacceptable thing in their society and as it… were George was not ready to let go of his ambitions in life to be a father and he fled.
The puritan Rachel took sole responsibility of Gerald in her humble surroundings with rebuke from society but taught Gerald the pure and best ways of society.
In a dramatic twist of events, Gerald has got a promising job offer from Amb. Kwalya that is his hope of offering her mother a better future and secure himself the love of his life Hellen, the puritan American girl. Will Gerald take the job from “his role” model who he wishes was his “father” against his mother’s persuasion not to follow the ‘man of no importance’?