A little festive air will take hold of the public squares of Marrakech and the villages of Tahanaoute, Tamesloht, Aghmat, Aït Ourir (falling under the Al Haouz province), on the occasion of the fourth edition of the International Artistic Meetings in public squares, Awaln’art ("our word" in Amazigh). The event is at the forefront of contemporary Moroccan creation.

From 17 to 20 June, the Associations Graines de Soleil (Marrakech) and Eclats de Lune (Paris) will attempt once again to transform public space, for the duration of this event, into an open-air playground. To the delight of the populations in the vicinity of the squares concerned, who will be able to appreciate for this purpose various numbers concocted by acrobats, jugglers, tightrope walkers, puppeteers, mimes and equilibristes and storytellers from seven countries.

For its fourth edition, the Awaln’art Festival offers the general public 14 shows hosted by artists who will occupy public squares for an artistic show worthy of major international events. With, in addition to parades and wanderings, acrobatics, circus and street cabaret shows. The public will appreciate on this same occasion poets, agitators and public entertainers who are very inspired. But also masks and puppets. All in an "improbable cartography of shared euphoria".

Awaln’art "has fun waking up a very old habit of our fellow citizens. Strolling in public space, sitting there with family or friends on a bench, on one's moped, at the edge of a fountain, on a corner of green lawn and crossing by chance or by habit, the acrobat and his out-of-tune trumpet, or the equilibrist and his unexpected words," underline the organisers.

The various shows will be offered by the troupes and companies Théâtre Nomade and the Colokolo troupe (Morocco), Erectus, ISIS, XY, As Pas de Maïoun, Chabatz d’entrar, Entre Terre et Ciel (France), Outre Rue (Belgium), Chimichurri (Spain), Ulik (Germany), Sogolon (Mali) and Circolando (Portugal).

Organised in collaboration with Al Maqam, Maroc Création, the Province of Al Haouz, the French Embassy, among others, the International Artistic Meetings in public squares aim to "allow the meeting between artists from all over the world by valuing crossbreeding, meetings between cultures of Africa, the North and South of the Mediterranean and South-South exchanges; make visible a region rich in its material, immaterial and natural heritage and contribute through its cultural and artistic dimensions to the implementation of the tools necessary for the development of cultural and rural tourism. Awaln’art contributes to the strengthening of the capacities of local associative and cultural actors, notably through their involvement each year more convincingly in the local organisation of the festival," conclude the organisers, convinced that this meeting "gives back to public squares their role as public spaces and reinstalls the public at the heart of creations and life at the heart of the show".