Babelyons

Lyon's Vintage Fashion Market

Antuán — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:53:00 +02:00

By Abdelwahid Djaballah
Translated by Juliette Abbes

A unique event in Europe, the Vintage Fashion Market will take place on Saturday, May, 17th. For the year 2008, its theme will be 'the Sixties' and the Beatles. This 7th edition is going to be a lot more than a time-travel, a total change of scene!

It was started seven years ago by Nadine Gelas, the Head of the Fashion University of Lyon, as she wanted to set up a coming-together fashion event in France. Year after year the Vintage Fashion Market has become more and more popular.

So popular that is now the meeting point of all the vintage lovers of France and Europe. A success partly due to the unfailing support of this event by Modalyon, a local non-profit promoting higher education in fashion and creation.

And as you might have guessed, the Vintage Fashion Market is also the place to go to sell and buy. You will be able to purchase some extraordinarily rare items coming from everywhere in France and Europe. In 2006, 15 000 visitors and 288 merchants showed up, in a "so british" atmosphere.

This year will stage the Sixties and all its attributes. Activities and exhbits will liven up the day as well as the emblematic Esmod fashion shows, a creative workshop for kids, '"the Small Fashion Novel" writing competition, a Best Look hunt, a Vintage Fashion trail and to end it all : a aperitif party... Let's hope that sunny weather will join us on that one...

For this 2008 edition -and for those that can afford it- you can also take part in a Luxury Auction, taking place on April, 10th at the Anaf Auction Room located in Brotteaux. Before the auction, a conference on "Mythic Vintage" is organized with three art historians that will comment on ten pieces of reference sold at the auction. All the benefits will go to the Hospital Assistance non-profit organization.

Pedestrian Power Crosses Drivers

Abdool — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:35:00 +02:00

By Laure Sharpe

The uneventful journey along Boulevard de La Croix Rousse brought some surprises for motorists this week. On Monday evening at around eight o’clock, herds of strangely dressed and weirdly behaving pedestrians took to crossing the road. The location: a zebra crossing so little used it goes virtually unnoticed. The aim: to lark about in crazy costumes, while indulging in some wholesome consciousness-raising.

The event, organized by revolutionary group, Commune de la Colline, or the Hill Community aimed to enlighten people about the correct use of zebra crossings. Marlène, a demonstrator wearing large sunglasses and a straw bonnet said the onus wasn’t just on car drivers, but also on pedestrians. ‘OK, people are scared of cars, but they always give way to them. Cars always pass first, even though pedestrians have right of way, but they don’t know it … it’s for them pedestrians to stop the cars as well, not to act as though cars are kings of the road.’

Inspired by the doings of flash mobs and Rémi Gaillard’s online japes, the activists say their objective wasn’t to enrage drivers, but to amuse them. ‘The first people to cross the road are dressed normally, but then bit by bit the people in costume cross in order to make the people inside the cars laugh … So it’s a spectacle for us as well as for the drivers.’

The resulting parade was a veritable circus with all kinds of outlandish costumes. All guises were given the green light: medieval lovers, tap dancers, flipper-shod divers, sword-bearing maniacs and wheelie-bin residing lunatics. The method of crossing also gave room for creativity: some just plain walked, another took to stilts, some to piggy backs and others to roller blades. One guy read his newspaper in the middle of the road, a guy and girl hugged and kissed frantically, making as though they were long-lost friends.

Citing other European examples, Marlène points to the opposite extreme of Germany where crossing the road when the ‘red man’ is illuminated is frowned upon. ‘It’s a bit much’, she says, though she says she feels France would do well to find a half way house between its current anarchic state and that of its rule-abiding neighbour.

Most drivers bore the exercise with good humour, although some did take to beeping their horns and gesticulating angrily. A few even forced their way through the procession, endangering protesters’ lives. It’s clear that for some French drivers, there’s still a long way to go before they’ll respect the Highway Code.

See the video:

Nuits Sonores 2008 everybody says: "Ich bin ein Berliner"

Antuán — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:41:00 +02:00

From May 7th until May 11th, the Nuits sonores has given a carte blanche to Berlin...

By Marie Signoret
Translated by Juliette Abbes

Last year already, the Nuits sonores (lit. 'sonorous nights') were already secretly in love with Berliners...- the record label Chicks on speed records, the Stereo duo Total or the beautiful Ellen Allien were already on the guest list. This year, the Nuits sonores festival did his coming-out : "I love Berlin !"

Every year since the launching of the festival -2003- the Nuits sonores give a carte blanche to a major European city, one with an innovating and emblematic electro-music scene. After Marseilles, Barcelona, Manchester, Berlin is taking over! Berlin, already a hide-away for the most famous names of the electro scene since 2000...

From May 7th until May 11th, its a whole Berlin delegation of DJ's, musicians, filmmakers, graphic artists...that are coming to Lyon, at the former SLI factory, the Palais de la Bourse, the Piscine du Rhone, the Amphitheatre, etc.

Full Calendar of Events: http://www.nuits-sonores.com/festival/carte_blanche.php

Lyon celebrates half a century of Europe

Antuán — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:45:00 +02:00

In conjunction with its 50th anniversary, the Maison de l’Europe is organising Europe day, plus a host of other exhibitions and cultural events spanning throughout the month.

By Laura Sharpe

"We want dialogue with the citizens. It’s our chance to attract the people of Lyon and ask them what they want from Europe", says Daniel Hulas, President of the city’s Maison de l’Europe. The annual event is a consciousness-raising exercise on European citizenship. And it will also allow the members of the Maison de l’Europe to promote their work. All sixty members are European-minded associations from Lyon.

Christo Kostov, is a member of one such association, Rhône Alp and Bulagrian Exchanges. On 24 and 25 May, his association will be running an exhibition on Bulgarian culture and the cyrillic alphabet. He said he hoped the event would make people more aware of his association and of Bulgarian history.

Primary schools are also taking part in the event as Villeurbanne association, Children, the City and Europe (l’Enfant, la Cité, l’Europe) which helps make children aware about European citizenship, is organising various shows and activities.

At the Fête de l’Europe (European Festival) scheduled on 17 May at Place de la République, volunteers will man stands and answer people’s questions. Typical dishes from several European countries are to be provided by Maison de l’Europe volunteers. Daniel Hulas promises there will be cultural entertainment and music on the menu as well as a Euro quizz, with various prizes to be won, provided by local shops and cinemas.

A series of conferences are to be held at venues around the city, with a range of International speakers including, Heiner MODEL, the German Consul and László Püspök, the Hungarian Consul. There’ll also be a chance for little known European artists to exhibit their work at the Salon d’Artistes, with works commissioned by Nicolas H. Kouzoupis.

‘Up until now, Europe day hasn’t been very well publicized by the media. But now there are 500 communes in France that celebrate the event and it’s been celebrated in Lyon for the past four or five years’, says Hulas. With 30000 new people coming into contact with the Maison de l’Europe in Lyon each year, it looks like the month of Europe is set to be a success.

Meet the Deflators

Antuán — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:42:00 +02:00

Babelyon's Marie Signoret has just published in cafebabel.com an article about the anti-SUVs movement in Lyon.

Welcome to the Adobe of Chaos!

Antuán — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:08:00 +02:00

Babelyon's Adbelwahid Djaballah has published a captivating article about the "Adobe of Chaos" in the Saône Valley nearby Lyon.

GEN Jean Cot, Thursday in Lyon

Antuán — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:39:00 +02:00

Gen. Jean Cot was the U.N. ground force commander in Bosnia in 1993 - 1994.
This conference is organised by the Maison de l'Europe.

Thu 27 18:30, a conference themed « L’Europe, encore dans un trou noir » by Gen. Jean Cot. At the Cercle Mixte de la garnison de Lyon, 22 avenue Leclerc in the 7th arrondissement.

Being an Eramus in Portsmouth

Antuán — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:16:00 +01:00

My review of Erasmus life in Portsmouth has been published by Adriano, Cafebabel's chief editor, on his Eurogeneration blog as part of a Erasmus city-guide series. Cheers Adriano.

This week's conferences in Lyon

Antuán — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:00:00 +01:00

A conference is organised by the Maison de l'Europe.

Thu 27 18:30, a conference themed « A la veille des J.O. de Pékin, faut-il encore avoir peur de la Chine ? » by Nicolas Kouzoupis, historian. At the Maison pour tous – Salle des Rancy, 249 rue Vendôme in the 3rd arrondissement (Place Guichard underground station).

This week's conferences in Lyon

Antuán — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:53:00 +01:00

Two conferences are organised by the Maison de l'Europe.

Wed 5 18:30, a conference about « L’Odyssée, le voyage d’Ulysse » by Jacques Santou, filmmaker, lecturer, member of the "Ulysse" association based in Avignon. At the Institut de Langue et Culture Portugaise, 107 rue de Marseille in the 7th arrondissement.
Thu 6 18:30, a conference about « L’égalité des chances en Europe, la Cour de justice européenne et l’égalité des droits » by Raymond Melka, lecturer at Lyon's Institute of Political Science (IEP). At the Maison de l'Europe, 18 Avenue Félix Faure in the 7th arrondissement.

This week's conferences in Lyon

Antuán — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:45:00 +01:00

The European event of the week is organised by the Maison de l'Europe.

Tue 29 18:30, a conference themed « Maria Callas, une femme d'exception » by Hélène Favre, lecturer in Classics (literature) and board member of the France-Greece association. At the Maison de l'Europe, 18 Avenue Félix Faure in the 7th arrondissement.

This week's conferences in Lyon

Antuán — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:08:00 +01:00

This week the two European events are organised by the Maison de l'Europe.

Tue 29 18:30, a conference themed « Lutte contre les discriminations en France et en Europe » by Raymond Melka, lecturer at Lyon's Institute of Political Science (IEP). At the Maison de l'Europe, 18 Avenue Félix Faure in the 7th arrondissement.
Wed 30 18:30, a conference about Romania « Un pays de traditions » by Larisa Razon in the presence of the Romanian Consul. At the town hall of the 7th arrondissement, place Jean Macé.

Kickstarting Cafebabel in Lyon

Antuán — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:29:00 +01:00

Welcome to the blog of the new local team of Cafebabel in Lyon. We've just started and invite all the Europeans from Lyon to join us.

Are you a journalist, confirmed or in the making?
Are you eager to translate French articles into English?
Do you organise debates or conferences about Europe?
Or maybe you're just willing to have a first experience with an European medium and would like to take part in our blog.

We need your help to promote Lyon in Europe and Europe in Lyon.

¿Te apuntas? Tu es partant ?
Feel free to contact Antoine.