A night at the museums 18 May

It's European museums night on 18 May so get out there and visit that museum or art gallery you've always intended to see but never quite got around to. Today they're open late and the'yre free. What's more some of them have extra live performances around the theme of the flowers of May.

At the Musée Grobet Labadié (140 Boulevard Longchamp) there is a perfomance by a flautist, Agnes Royon le Mee, and a singer/actor, Danielle Stephan, called Chante Fleurs et Chante Flûtes.

At the Préau de Accoules (29 Montée des Accoules) there's a musical, Coco Neil et les Gars Gazon, by Isabelle Matthieu and Alain Bordes.

At the Musée Cantini (19 Rue Grignan) there's an audio installation by Phil Specrum, Christian Berthelot, Dominique Dauchart and Amandine Buixeda.

Street art and music at the Friche 25 April to 9 June

Don't be fooled by the title "This is [not] music", there is in fact music involved in this 47 day extravaganza of art, urban sports (including extreme sport demonstrations), concerts and films focusing on street culture. You can catch up with the Undertones (27 April) or Pete Docherty (3 May) at the Cabaret Aléatoire, watch skateboarding exhibitions and competitions, films and live performances, all at the Friche de la Belle de Mai.

The Undertones 27 April Cabaret Aléatoire

You'll find details of the programme and ticket prices (in French) on the This is [not] music website.

Concert of Egyptian Music 26 October

The Archives and Library Gaston Defferre (18-20 rue Mirès) has exhibitions and events all about Egypt running from October to December. On 26 October there is a concert of classical and improvised Egyptian music, described as deep and meditative, with Oud and Flute. The perfomance is by Hazem Shaheen (Oud) and Naïssam Jalal (Flute).

It starts at 7pm and entry is free. If you miss it, the exhibition of photographs: Egypt, clear and obscure, continues until 22 December.

Photo from www.rencontresaverroes.net

Contemporary Art Gallery Opening 12 October

At 6pm on Friday 12 October the Galerie Breteuil, 91 rue Breteuil, will open its doors with an exhibition "Regards Croisées". All three featured artists will be there: Cédric Bambini, Martine d'Olivo and Marie Riontino. The gallery is the latest addition to Marseille's contemporary art scene. The owners Caroline Floch and Serge Ravaut are artists who want to share their passion for art. They promise to exhibit accessible art that you will want to look at again and again in your own home.

Martine d'Olivo

The opening is 6pm to 8pm on 12 October (get an invitation from the website) and then the gallery will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am to 7pm (9pm on Thursdays)

Roberto Alagna sings at Villeneuve-Bargemon 7 July

If you're near the Vieux Port this evening there's an operatic concert featuring Franco-Italian tenor Roberto Alagna and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseille. It's in the open air at Esplanade Villeneuve-Bargemon, next to the Hôtel de Ville. It starts around 8:30 and it's free.

Roberto Alagna

There is also, throughout July, an exhibition of calligraphy in the Espace Villeneuve-Bargemon supported by Marseille Esperance.

Art in the Open Air 24 May to 3 June

The artists have taken over the gardens of the Maison Blanche (mairie of the 9 and 10 arrondissements) as part of the 4th Festival of Ephemeral Art. There are trees that weep, rhinos sleeping, words growing in the grass and lots more to feed your imagination. 19 artists have taken part, in partnership with selected students from the Ecole Supérieur d'Art et de Design Marseille-Méditerranée.

The gardens are open from 10 am to 6pm every day. The Maison Blanche is at 150 Boulevard Paul Claudel, Metro line 2 to Dromel then bus 16 or 16S to Claudel Mairie des 9 et 10 or Vallon de Toulouse.

A night at the museum 19 May

As part of European Museums Night, a number of Marseille's museums are hosting special events and staying open, with free access, until midnight.
At the Vieille Charité there are interviews, music workshops and performances of music and dance. You can also see the Hunderdwasser exhibition for free.
For the children there is free entry to the Preau des Accoules with it's exhibition of sculpture from the Musée Cantini.

 MAC has a Franco Tunisian poetry performance Affaires et Peines and is showing the film Premier Opus d'Amelie Deron Cordina, with free entry to the Mediterranean Approaches exhibition.
Also open are: Musée des Docks Roman (in the Panier), Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (Palais Longchamp), Musée Grobet Labadié (near Palais Longchamp) and the Musée de Faïence (Parc Pastré).

Contemporary Art (and music) in Spring Part 2, 20 May

As part of the Spring of Contemporary Art, the American Gallery is opening a new exhibition on Sunday 20 May.  It features the work of David Scher.  The opening is from 2 - 7pm with a performance at 3pm by American Composer and banjo player Paul Ellwood. The exhibition continues until July 7 so if you can't make it to the opening, ring and arrange a visit to what promises to be an interesting exhibition in a beautiful location.

Notes by David Scher

Paul Ellwood

Contemporary Art in Spring Part 1, 17-19 May

Heigh-Ho, Heigh Ho (on rentre au boulot!), Thierry Lagalia

The fourth Printemps de l'Art Contemporain (Spring of Contemporary Art) is called Sous le Sable, Beneath the Sand. It is organised by Marseille Expos and is a three day contemporary art festival with exhibitions all over the city.  It is organised around three art tours with openings, performances and lectures, featuring

Vieux Port/Panier to Belsunce on 17 May

 Longchamp/Belle de Mai on 18 May

La Plaine Cours Julien and Préfecture on 19 May. 

The galleries are open 3pm to 7pm with "nocturnes" up to 10pm on the featured day. Entry is free. You can download a plan showing the location of the galleries from the Marseille Expos website.

The Scots are coming 13 -15 April

Come to the Hôtel du Département (big blue building metro Saint Just) to sample the best of Scottish food, design and culture.  The Scots are the guests of honour at Artisans 13. There will be music and dancing, a milliner, a women's clothes designer, bags, jewellery, recycled bikes and food. You can get a real Scottish breakfast each morning and there will be special events all day. If you want to practise your English (whether with an English, Scottish, Irish or American accent) there is an English language apero on Friday from 5pm to 7pm.

Open from 10 am to 7pm. Entry is free.  The programme (in French) is here.

Joris Branduas exhibition opening 10 January

If you go along to the Galerie Meyer 10 rue Fort Notre Dame (behind the Vieux Port, bus no. 83) at around 7pm on 10 January you can take part in the opening of the exhibition of Joris Branduas' work. If you cant make it the exhibition continues until 31 January.