The opening ceremony, held at the Residence of France, showcased a season designed to highlight emerging talents, foster dialogue between French and Moroccan creativity, and strengthen artistic cooperation between the two countries. According to a statement from the Institute, the program also pays tribute to the inspiring and creative youth of Morocco, France, and beyond, while aiming to broaden young people’s access to culture.
This season marks a new stage in IFM’s partnership with Morocco’s Pass Jeunes, through which the Institute has committed to expanding its collaborations with youth centers. The goal is to offer free access and preferential rates for cultural and educational activities, thereby increasing opportunities for young people to engage with culture and training.
Among the highlights of the program are public performances and theater productions with subtitles in Darija, including “Ici” by Pascal Rambert, presented in collaboration with ISADAC; “Fidélité(s) ou la Panenka d’Hakimi” by Mona El Yafi and Ali Esmili; and “Celle qui regarde le monde” by Alexandra Badea.
The 2025–2026 season also features exhibitions such as “Jil lioum, une jeunesse en mouvement” and “Exposition État(s) de passage”. Audiences can expect concerts, dance performances, and digital arts projects, including “Playful”, which offers a unique collective video game experience in a cinema setting, and “Samifati & Transe Gnawa Express”, a fusion of gnawa music, electronic sounds, and immersive visuals.
The debate series “Les Rendez-vous de la philosophie” returns under the theme “Ambivalence des passions. Où va le monde?”. Meanwhile, Les Nuits du Ramadan will be renewed this year with a major choreographic performance.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid welcomed the new partnership between the ministry and the IFM under the Pass Jeunes. He emphasized that “investing in childhood and youth is also an investment in the nation’s future.”
“By encouraging multilingualism, openness to different cultures, and the hybridization of imaginations, Morocco and France are betting on a shared future built on exchange, cooperation, and solidarity,” he said. He added that the growing cultural and youth collaborations between the two countries now represent “a model that must be nurtured and promoted.”
“This is a model of successful cooperation between equal partners who understand that today’s challenges and tomorrow’s issues can only be met through the pooling of efforts and energies,” the minister concluded.
For his part, the French Ambassador to Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier, noted that “J-Lioum” continues the commitment made by France and Morocco 11 months ago to rebuild their friendship in service of the youth of both nations. He described the season as “an invitation for young people to share their most ambitious creations with a broad public.”
“This new chapter of cultural cooperation is not limited to a thematic program. It is the concrete expression of France’s determined will to support and accompany the talent and creativity of a new generation that is weaving ties between our two countries and ultimately shaping the foundation of our shared future,” he affirmed.
Agnès Humruzian, Director of the IFM, stressed that this cultural season was built with and for young people. She explained that the Institute’s teams consulted youth advisory committees from across Morocco to design a program that reflects their expectations, while remaining inclusive, globally minded, and bold.
“‘J-Lioum’ carries a dual meaning suggested by young people themselves. It refers both to ‘Ji al Yawm’—‘Come today’—and ‘Jil al yawm’, meaning ‘the generation of today’,” she said.
Humruzian added that through this programming, the French Institute seeks to echo the extraordinary creative energy of Moroccan and French youth and to open its spaces and activities widely to young audiences in order to foster the sharing of culture and knowledge. Reviewing IFM’s ongoing initiatives to make its cultural and educational programs accessible to all, she expressed confidence that the new partnership with the ministry through the Pass Jeunes would provide fresh momentum to this policy of accessibility.
Editorial team/le7tv