Always difficult to capture, in a single page, what this queer, feminist, inclusive, and activist program represents—or can represent—in Avignon, in the midst of the Festival IN and OFF.

A festival within the Festival? A platform for the visibility of the invited artists? A forum? A meeting point where local and international artists—often made invisible or underrepresented in our cultural and public spaces—can come together.

Or perhaps just another initiative destined for exhaustion and failure, at a time when resources dedicated to art and creative work continue to shrink, and spaces for expression and freedom grow ever more restricted.

Because beyond this so-called “queer trend” that some persist in denouncing—whether in good faith or bad—our rights and our voices remain under constant threat. Femicide, transphobia, homophobia, so-called pro-life movements, religious extremism, and radical ideologies, in Africa, the United States, and many other parts of the world, remind us every day that nothing can ever be taken for granted.

Programme .Q exists to give all these voices the opportunity to resonate throughout the Festival—with joy, with pride, and with unwavering determination. We are here neither to endure nor to suffer.

Like everyone else, we are an integral part of the celebration of creativity, culture, and citizenship in Avignon and beyond. We simply cannot stand still—our bodies and minds are constantly alive with energy and ideas. And this time, we are here, fully visible, to remind you of that.

Have a wonderful Festival IN and OFF! Enjoy Programme .Q!

Sergio Chianca and the Programme .Q Team