Teens Tell All in Fanny de Chaillé's THE TEENS LIBRARY, 3/18-19

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) present The Teens Library, an intimate afternoon of performances developed by French artist Fanny de Chaillé. This interactive project presents a living teen library where visitors are invited to choose from a catalogue of "books," which are actually people. The participating teens, aged 14-17, relate their individual stories as part of the catalogue. Part of the second annual Tilt Kids Festival, The Teens Library is free and open to the public (ages 6 and up). Performances will be held on Saturday, April 8, 11am-4pm, at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy (972 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan). Some stories may contain mature content.

The Teens Library is inspired by the idea that anyone can be the author of knowledge and share it with others, and is a reminder of the power of storytelling. Each "book" is the result of a collaboration that started in November 2016 between de Chaillé and a group of teenagers who are part of the New York Public Library Literacy Leaders program. In a series of workshops, they worked together to determine a theme, topic, or personal history to be shared. In intimate sessions with the audience, each teen will tell his or her unique story to both parents and kids. The Teens Library gives voice to individuals and brings stories to life.

The French Institute Alliance Française previously worked with de Chaillé when the organization presented her works The Library and Passage à l'acte/Acting Out as part of the 2013 Crossing the Line Festival. The New York Times described these works as "storytelling coming to life."

The Teens Library was initiated in November 2016, by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, as part of Kids Trail-a program providing children and adults the opportunity to explore French arts and culture through a variety of disciplines. The Teens Library was also developed in partnership with the New York Public Library's Literacy Leaders program, which provides a paid internship to New York City high school students who mentor and tutor first and second graders.

About Fanny de Chaillé
Fanny de Chaillé began creating her own plays, installations, and performances in 1995. She has worked with renowned artists such as Daniel Larrieu, Rachid Ouramdane, Emmanuelle Huynh, and Alain Buffard. She has created installations, performances, and choreographic works including Le Voyage d'hiver (2001), AMERIQUE (2006) and Gonzo Conférence (2007). In 2010, she created La Bibliothèque (The Library), a performance produced with 23 residents of the Cité Universitaire Internationale in Paris. The piece has been since presented in countries around the world, including the 2013 edition of FIAF's Crossing the Line Festival. In 2013, the Centre Pompidou's Nouveau Festival commissioned Chaillé's piece La Clairière, created with set designer Nadia Lauro. More information on fannydechaille.fr.

About the Tilt Kids Festival
Tilt Kids Festival invites kids and families to discover, play, imagine, think, and create, with performances and events that challenge the boundaries of art forms. From theater to dance parties, music concerts, innovative workshops, conversations, and visual art installations, Tilt is designed to stimulate and inspire the audiences of today and tomorrow.

Tilt Kids Festival is co-curated by Rima Abdul-Malak, Cultural Attachée of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy; Lili Chopra, Executive Vice President and Artistic Director of the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF); and Violaine Huisman, Director of Humanities at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. www.tiltkidsfestival.org

About the Cultural Services of the French Embassy
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy promotes the best of French arts, literature, cinema, digital innovation, language, and higher education across the US. Based in New York City, Washington D.C., and eight other cities across the country, the Cultural Services brings artists, authors, intellectuals and innovators to cities nationwide. It also builds partnerships between French and American artists, institutions and universities on both sides of the Atlantic. In New York, through its bookshop Albertine, it fosters French-American exchange around literature and the arts. www.frenchculture.org

About FIAF
The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) is New York's premiere French cultural and language center. FIAF's mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures. FIAF seeks to generate new ideas and promote cross cultural dialogue through partnerships and new platforms of expression. www.fiaf.org

Merci!
Tilt Kids Festival 2017 is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium, Air France and Delta Air Lines, FACE Foundation, Florence Gould Foundation, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, Howard Gilman Foundation, Institut français-Paris, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, La Roche Posay, and SACD (Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques).