Paris, France —Young artists from the world over came together on a Parisian stage last November 18th underscoring the vibrant cultural scene emerging from the latest generation of young artists. There were projections of art works, live musical performances, sequences from long and short documentaries, theater, and dance. The show unfolded in the amphitheater of the National Bastille Opera house and featured performances of traditional Armenian music, dance from a Ukrainian dancer and choreographer and alternative music from a Vietnamese-born singer-songwriter all of whom are among the 37 young artists who benefited from a 25,000 euro grant from the regional government of the Ile-de-France or greater Paris region. The grants are awarded from the regional funds for emerging artists whose French acronym is FoRTE to 9 visual arts projects, 9 film and audio-visual projects, 9 music projects and 10 performing arts projects. Meanwhile a collective show of the art works by the 10 visual artist grant winners is being held in the Frac art center of the greater Paris region in Romainville until January 11th featuring paintings, installations, sounds, videos and etchings by the awardees who hail from a host of countries including the Congo, Germany, France, and Brazil. The soirée at the Bastille Opera house was introduced by the president of the greater Paris region, Valérie Pécresse. 

« The Region’s commitment to this initiative is based on a firm conviction: that supporting emerging talent is an investment in the cultural, educational, and economic future of the area. These young creators are not just promising artists, they are guardians, capable of opening our minds and inspiring the collective imagination,» explained  Valérie Pécresse President of the Île‐de‐France Region and Florence Portelli, First vice‐president in charge of Culture, Heritage, and Creation in a joint statement. 

Since its launch by the greater Paris region in 2018, over 360 artists have benefited from this unique support fund that is FoRTE. It offers a pathway to the young artists to emerge from their own world and be accompanied in their artistic endeavors not only through a financial grant but also with professional guidance and an experienced structure be it theaters, production companies, art centers, foundations or even music cafés.

The FoRTE grants are open to artists of all nationalities whose only obligation is to create their work in the greater Paris region. The program gives the emerging artists, age 18 to 30, the financial and material means to create a first work in the visual arts, cinema, music or the theatrical arts. FoRTE is endowed with one million euros each year and the winners benefit from a grant of 2500 euros each month for 10 months. Calling all candidates for future FoRTEs. The deadline for next year is December 19th, 2025. For further information iledefrance.fr/forte. Contact for candidates: forte@iledefrance.fr

©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette.