From 23 to 25 September, representatives from ArtHouse Jersey and Guernsey Arts travelled to Normandy on a technical visit to gain a better understanding of the region’s cultural fabric. Following a rich itinerary between Caen and Rouen, the delegation visited numerous artistic and cultural institutions, including the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (FRAC Normandie) RN13 BIS, the Usine Utopik, the Centre for Contemporary Creation, ESAM Caen-Cherbourg, Artothèque, Le Radar and Le Point du Jour. As part of the Normandy project ‘Millennium: 2027 European Year of the Normans’, the islands are engaging in artistic and cultural collaborations with the Normandy Region, and these meetings aim to create new contacts to imagine new cooperative projects.

Jersey’s architectural heritage was celebrated during the 41st European Heritage Days organised by the French Ministry for Culture from 19 to 21 September. For this special event, four sites agreed to open their doors to visitors free of charge or with promotional offers: Jersey Museum et Victorian House, Georgian House at 16 New Street, Royal Court, States Chamber, and Jersey War Tunnels. This event was an opportunity for visitors and residents alike to discover or rediscover the unique stories behind each building. This promotion was made possible thanks to discussions with the DRAC (Regional Directorate for Cultural Affairs) of Normandy, which included the opening of the Jersey sites in the Normandy regional programme.

For more information on the European Heritage Days:

• European Heritage Days
• European Heritage Days | OpenAgenda

See you next year!

The French Festival was back in Jersey from 10 to 14 July for one of its most dazzling editions yet! Visitors were treated to a programme combining French culture and the local population: wine and cheese tasting, a Normandy market, a screening of the Rennes opera, films and music. The high point of the festival was the conference entitled ‘The Franco-British relationship, spearheading European security’, organised in collaboration with Normandy for Peace, which provided an opportunity to discuss the future of Franco-British relations. Thanks to Sylvie Barnamm, former French Ambassador to the UK, and Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, specialist in nuclear disarmament, the conference was punctuated by a lively debate. If you could not attend the conference, you can watch a replay here. The French Festival once again lived up to its promise, underlining the close links between France and the Channel Islands! The next edition will take place in 2027 and will focus on the Millennium of William the Conqueror in Normandy. We can’t wait!

On 12 June, a delegation from the Jersey and Guernsey customs and immigration departments visited the St Malo sub-prefecture to meet their counterparts from Brittany and Normandy. The visit gave the various partners an opportunity to discuss forthcoming changes to British and European procedures and the potential impact on the flow of travellers arriving in and departing from our respective territories. These annual meetings are extremely beneficial, enabling the teams to get to know each other better and work together more effectively.

From 28 to 29 April, the technical teams in charge of the Jersey and Guernsey wind farm projects travelled to Calvados for meetings with Normandy professionals. Under the aegis of the regional prefecture, this was an opportunity to meet with the Réseau de Transport d’électricité (RTE), the Normandy region and EDF Renewables, to understand the electrical connection of the Courseulles-sur-mer wind farm on land. During these two intense days, the teams from the Channel Islands were able to explore avenues for collaboration and learn from each other’s experiences.