What is a caravan?
Since 2003, nearly 100 organisations have taken part in this language initiative by getting local residents involved!
The ‘Caravane des dix mots’ project is supported by artistic teams and cultural practitioners across five continents, known as the ‘Caravaniers’.
United by a shared vision of language as a bridge between people and as a tool for fostering cultural exchange, they form a dynamic network committed to reflecting on the challenges facing the Francophonie and to defending and promoting the richness of cultural and linguistic diversity.
How can you take part?
The Caravane des dix mots invites artistic teams from all over the world to join in its fun and creative linguistic adventure. To find out all about how to take part, download the call for proposals below.
In short, every year until 2022: 40 to 50 teams of Caravaniers
10,000 participants in the art workshops • 3,000 DVD box sets distributed
Since 2006, the Caravaniers have been meeting every two years, as part of the Francophonie Summit, at the International Forums of the ‘Ten Words’ Caravans.
The Ten Words,
a shared resource
The ten words forge a bond between all those taking part in the Caravan project around the world. A simple yet highly effective tool, the ten words provide a starting point for individual expression and discussion on a shared theme.
The ‘Ten Words’ initiative is organised as part of events promoting the French language around the world, notably the Week of the French Language and the Francophonie (France), the Francofête (Quebec) and the Langue française en fête (Belgium), which take place around 20 March, International Francophonie Day.
These ten words are selected on the basis of an annual theme by the various members of OPALE (Organismes francophones de politique et d’aménagement linguistiques), which brings together representatives from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
An artist meets the people of his local area
A local artist or cultural figure organises a ‘Caravane des dix mots’ project in their area, whether at neighbourhood, town or regional level. He carries out this project with local residents, going out to meet them wherever they are – from the most ordinary to the most surprising places: a community centre, a school, a prison, a nursery, a care home, a theatre, or even in public spaces!
To explore the meaning of words, going beyond their literal definitions, in order to reveal the cultural richness and diversity that every human being carries within them.
Every year, a call for proposals is launched in June and closes in September. The proposals are assessed and approved by the Steering Committee of the Caravane des dix mots in October.
Art workshops,
to inspire creativity
The artist acts as a facilitator, encouraging workshop participants to discover an original and creative means of expression.Writing, slam poetry, theatre, storytelling, dance, visual arts, photography, graffiti, music, etc. – all these disciplines are ideal for playing with words and encouraging people to share their experiences or spark the imagination. This artistic approach helps to make the French language more accessible, by realising that language and words belong to us and tell our stories.
A film to give a voice to French speakers
Combining street interviews, interviews and images from art workshops held in every corner of the globe, the film by the Caravane des dix mots is a veritable mosaic of the ten words, revealing the diversity of definitions, imaginations and cultures. This space for free and creative expression is a window onto the cultural and linguistic diversity of the French-speaking world!
From 2003 to 2015, each Caravanier produced their own short documentary film, capturing the artistic workshops and the voices of the local residents.
All these films can be viewed on our YouTube channel and on the annual DVDs of the Caravane des dix mots. Since 2016, Caravane participants have been contributing to a collective film produced by the Caravane des dix mots. In addition, they may propose and produce a short film on a subject related to the Francophonie and cultural diversity, in the form of a documentary or a work of fiction.
Caravan Belgium
House of La Francophonie
Slam • Poetry • Writing • Reading • Francophonie
The Maison de la Francité offers a wide variety of activities centred on the French language: writing and slam poetry workshops, writing and public speaking competitions, literary events, exhibitions, philosophy cafés, film clubs, conversation groups and artistic projects.
As part of ‘Dis-moi dix mots 2026’, it invites participants to explore the theme of ‘the world to come’ through writing, poetry, reflection and the visual arts. A creative, participatory and intergenerational programme that celebrates words, the imagination and the diversity of the French-speaking world.
Caravan Belgium
Huy Borough Cultural Centre
Slam • Poetry • Writing • Reading
We offer a range of creative activities centred on language: word-creation exercises for pupils, slam poetry and writing workshops, children’s story readings, short story competitions, and so on.
A varied, intergenerational programme combining poetry, slam, reading and artistic expression.
Caravan Belgium
Huy Borough Cultural Centre
Writing • French as a foreign language • Creativity • Video • Citizenship
We offer a range of creative activities based on the Ten Words: language games, making up definitions, writing workshops, songs, comics, children’s picture books, music videos and short films.
This project brings together pupils from special needs classes, DASPA classes and learners of French as a foreign language, all united by a shared aim: to explore the French language in a safe, supportive and intercultural environment. It is a participatory programme combining self-expression, imagination, artistic creation and self-confidence.
Caravan Benin
REPAC-SJ BENIN (Adja-Ouèrè, Benin)
Storytelling • Poetry slam • Theatre • Dance • Audiovisual creation
We are offering a series of creative workshops based on the Ten Words: storytelling, slam poetry, theatre, dance, visual arts, multimedia projects and group performances.
Through French and local languages, children and teenagers imagine ‘the world of the future’, developing their creativity, self-confidence and civic engagement. A participatory and intercultural project that combines heritage, artistic innovation and linguistic diversity.
Caravan in Bulgaria
Mariette and Marionnette Theatre Company
Puppetry • Theatre • Comedy • Fantasy • Francophonie
We offer creative theatre workshops centred on the ten words of the Francophonie 2026. Drawing on the fairy tale The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats, reimagined in a science-fiction setting, participants explore the language of comedy, improvisation and puppet theatre.
The project culminates in the creation of a collaborative performance that blends humour, reflection and imagination to explore, through words, the world of tomorrow.
Burkina Faso Caravan
Kongôbâ Association (Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso)
Dance • Theatre • Storytelling • Heritage • Education
We offer artistic and cultural activities centred on passing on Burkinabe knowledge and heritage: workshops in dance, theatre, storytelling and creative expression, as well as cultural events.
Through its ‘Education through Culture’ project, the charity supports children, young people and women in discovering their cultural heritage, developing their creativity and engaging as active citizens. It is an intergenerational programme that combines artistic creation, the passing on of traditions and an openness to the world.
Cameroon Caravan
ENTRE2VERS Association
Dance • Theatre • Slam
We value everyone’s cultural heritage; this approach helps to change the way we view the world.
Our vision: the emergence of a united generation that actively contributes to the development of society by channelling its creativity into our shared heritage.
Our mission: to contribute, through education, training, art, culture and sport, to the emergence of a fairer, more united society that is mindful of environmental issues.
Our values: access to culture for all, mutual support, sharing, creativity and intergenerational engagement.
Caravan Canada / Alberta
Immigrant Association Portal (PIA)
Recycled Art • Eco-friendly washing line: words suspended in mid-air • Slam poetry • Environmental photography workshop • Clean-up day • Eco-friendly cookery workshop • Screening of a film or short films • Wall of Words: The Art of Nature
The Immigrant Association Portal offers a range of services and programmes that meet the needs of the Francophone community in all its diversity.
The organisation promotes and shares Francophone cultural heritage with the general public in Alberta.
Caravan Canada / New Brunswick
Provincial Council of Cultural Organisations (CPSC)
Theatre • Slam • Poetry
The Provincial Council of Cultural Organisations, based in Moncton, has a track record of more than 50 years of success in cultural outreach in French in New Brunswick.
Constantly evolving, audience development relies on cultural initiatives which today involve building bridges between local and foreign cultures and enhancing dialogue amongst the various sectors involved in the development of Acadian society.
The aim of this project is to promote the integration of Francophone or Francophile immigrants through the collective creation of a light-hearted community play that highlights the reality of Francophone immigration in New Brunswick.
Caravan Canada
Caravane Boréale (Whitehorse, Yukon)
Visual arts • Creative work • Haiku • Watercolour • Animation
In partnership with the Association Franco-Yukonnaise and schools across the Yukon, Caravane Boréale is offering a series of visual arts workshops designed to foster creativity, artistic expression and an exploration of a variety of techniques.
Through printmaking, haiku writing, watercolour painting, animation and ephemeral art, participants explore new forms of expression and develop their artistic sensibilities within their community and in schools. An intercultural project that celebrates the convergence of artistic practices and an openness to the imagination.
China Caravan
The Red Arts Pavilion
Photography • Slam • Writing • Francophonie
Supported by a wide network of French-speaking partners, ‘Photos Inouïes’ brings Hong Kong and Macao together around the ten words of the Francophonie. Two photographers, Jocelyn Ho and Cyril Delettre, offer a visual exploration of the two territories through images inspired by the words featured in the exhibition.
These photographs serve as the starting point for writing workshops with learners and teachers, in partnership with AFLE Hong Kong and Macao. The texts produced are then transformed into slam performances and musical readings at public exhibitions, where images and words interact to bring the Francophone world to life.
Ivory Coast Caravan
Arts Centre
Visual arts • Theatre • Radio
Given the extent of the confusion surrounding the French language and the use of French in Africa, and also in Côte d’Ivoire, the role of education is indispensable, as is the integration of initiatives such as the approach proposed by the ‘Caravane des dix mots’, which provides both information,
training, communication and games that enable participants to acquire basic knowledge and tools to improve their skills and perspectives, so that they can act responsibly.
The Arts Centre will organise activities to promote learning and a clearer understanding of language as a tool for communication and work, with the aim of reducing confusion and discrimination amongst children, teenagers and young people, whilst also strengthening the capabilities of older people through the activities of the ‘Caravan of Ten Words’, which offers a variety of insights into social issues that promote normality and stability.
Egypt Caravan
Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Centre for Francophone Activities (CAF)
Craft workshop • Environmental workshop • Science workshop
The project presented by the CAF is a cultural initiative aimed at promoting the French language through a series of interactive, multidisciplinary art workshops.
These workshops will run over several months and will be led by professional French-speaking artists. Participants will thus be able to express themselves and create artistic works based on the ten words. This will be achieved through science, theatre, painting, slam poetry and games. The aim is therefore to spark the imagination, to transform this shared experience of the French language into a means of fostering social and educational bonds, as well as to give a voice to those who never speak up.
Caravan in Spain
Baizara Cultural Association (Bilbao)
Diversité culturelle • Patrimoine • Création • Coopération
Baizara works towards an inclusive society in which cultural diversity and intangible heritage are recognised as fundamental rights.
These photographs serve as the starting point for writing workshops with learners and teachers, in partnership with AFLE Hong Kong and Macao. The texts produced are then transformed into slam performances and musical readings at public exhibitions, where images and words interact to bring the Francophone world to life.
Caravan France / Lyon
Singa Association: What they have to say
Podcast • Women’s Voices • Francophonie • Inclusion • Sound design
Through the podcast Tout ce qu’elles en disent, SINGA Lyon provides a platform for women from all walks of life, particularly newly arrived women. Whether in French or in their mother tongue, they share their stories, their thoughts and their views on the world.
As part of the 2026 Caravane des Dix Mots, an episode dedicated to ‘Women of the Future’ will explore the ten words of the Francophonie through personal accounts, audio creations and group discussions. The project is enriched by photographic portraits and original musical compositions, celebrating the diversity of voices, languages and life stories.
Caravan France / Brittany
Maison de la Francophonie de Bretagne in Saint-Malo
Writing workshops • Visual arts • Reading and poetry
The Maison de la Francophonie de Bretagne in Saint-Malo aims to promote the Francophonie and to engage civil society in raising awareness of and sharing the Francophonie, its history, its institutions and its values, including cultural and linguistic diversity.
The spirit of the ‘Dis-moi Dix mots’ project lives on and guides the Caravane in a cultural, educational and artistic initiative that celebrates the diversity of the French language around the world and multilingualism.
As a platform for exchange and raising awareness of the French-speaking world, the Maison de la Francophonie de Bretagne does its utmost to support the organisation of artistic workshops.
Caravan: France to Guadeloupe
GRACE – Group for Artistic, Cultural and Ethnic Research
Theatre • Dance • Visual arts
This project is an invitation to discover, learn and play with words, so that you can make them your own through a variety of fun activities:
- To devise their own tools for painting the 10 words;
- To be able to devise their own painting techniques;
- To encourage individual and group projects;
- To foster sensory experiences through artistic creation and to stimulate reflection on art;
- To engage pupils in a process of experimentation, exploration, research and invention;
- To encourage individual and group projects, sensory encounters linked to artistic creation, and reflection on the 10 words;
- To provide training that strikes a balance between artistic practice and culture, and academic knowledge.
The project generally takes place across the whole of Guadeloupe, in the following towns: Le Moule, Les Abymes, Baie Mahault, Pointe-à-Pitre and Deshaie.
Caravan: France / Martinique
Karayb Women’s Relay Association
Body expression workshop • Street art hangout • Artistic expression • Slam
The aim of the association is to bring together women of all backgrounds and anyone who supports these aims and wishes to promote intercultural exchange by celebrating each other’s cultures;
to facilitate the integration of foreign communities into French society; to promote the autonomy and independence of women and families in all aspects of daily life through their personal commitment.
Caravan: France / Occitanie
Between&With
Theatre • Visual Arts • Slam • Music • Dance
The regional ‘Caravane des dix mots’ initiative was launched in Languedoc-Roussillon in 2008, as part of the national ‘Dis-moi dix mots’ campaign spearheaded by the General Delegation for the French Language and the Languages of France (DGLFLF).
It is accredited each year by the Lyon-based association “Caravane des dix mots”, which coordinates the network of Caravanes worldwide. The Caravane des 10 mots Occitanie is supported by the DRAC and the Occitanie Region.
The specific objectives of the initiative:
- To reach out to people who are excluded from participating in the cultural life of their local area;
- To approach the French language through an artistic and playful approach, thereby fostering the desire and freedom for verbal and written expression;
- To develop artistic activities based on the ten words from the national ‘Dis-moi dix mots’ initiative, through cultural workshops with authors;
- To promote individual expression and intergenerational exchange by encouraging diverse audiences to express themselves and be creative;
- To promote the work of regional artists and authors and foster regional networks, whilst encouraging shared governance of projects.
Caravan France / Seine-et-Marne
Compagnie Gazelle
Theatre • Puppetry
We have been part of the ‘Caravaniers des Dix Mots’ initiative since 2016, under the ‘Seine-et-Marne’ label, as part of our activities involving practical art workshops with a variety of audiences.
This year, 2025, we plan to organise an exclusive workshop session for each amateur group we work with, dedicated to a filmed session on the theme of the ‘Ten Words’ and the chosen words.
This year, we are working with various groups on workshops focusing on artistic practices in the performing arts. In particular, we are working with participants in Seine-et-Marne, in the priority neighbourhood of Les Deux Parcs. We run language learning workshops at the community centre for non-native-speaking adults every Tuesday, and from January onwards, puppet theatre workshops will be held for residents of La Pergola, a care home for the elderly in Les Deux Parcs.
We are also commissioned to run arts workshops with two nursery school classes in Bry-sur-Marne in Val-de-Marne (94). Finally, as part of the workshops offered in primary schools across the City of Paris, we have created the ‘Ten Words’ workshop, which is repeated every year.
Caravan: France / Meyzieu
Meyzieu Media Centre (France)
Slam • Poetry • Oral tradition • Interculturalism • Encounter
The Meyzieu Media Centre is organising an intergenerational and intercultural programme centred on slam poetry, bringing together non-native-speaking adults, young people on integration schemes and older people.
Led by the artist Myriam DAVELU (Myriade de mots), participants explore the ten words of the Francophonie through writing and public speaking workshops. This project encourages self-expression, creativity and confidence, and brings together people from different backgrounds, ages and life experiences. The workshops conclude with an open stage session, providing an opportunity to share texts and performances with the audience.
Mali Caravan
Agoratory Group Association
Slam
Every year we organise the Mali International Slam and Comedy Festival (FISH). As part of International Francophonie Day, through slam poetry and comedy, a number of Malian school pupils and university students will take part in writing workshops based on the ten (10) words of the Francophonie.
This is a clear opportunity for them to learn new words and, what’s more, to try their hand at performing on stage in a competitive setting. For 2025, we wanted to focus on young people, hence the theme: ‘Slam: a weapon for a youth committed to a journey through the Francophonie’.
Caravan, Czech Republic
Alfa Theatre, Pilsen
Théâtre
Since September, theatre rehearsals have already begun at the Alfa Theatre with ten students, with whom we are currently improvising exercises based on ten words.
We hope to capture the improvisations on film and thus create a show that we will perform at the end of the school year.
Caravan in Romania
‘Ovidius’ Academic Sixth Form College
Caravane Romania (Constanța) – The ‘Ovidius’ General Secondary School promotes young people’s voices and creativity through participatory artistic activities centred on the ‘Ten Words’,
in particular the production of stop-motion animated films, with a view to promoting the French language, linguistic diversity and intercultural dialogue.
Caravan in Slovakia
AEON Association
Théâtre
Theatre workshops for pupils at bilingual and French schools. In collaboration with the French Institute in Slovakia and theatrabratislava.
Chad Caravan
Themacult (Maoundôh-Culture Theatre)
Theatre • Storytelling
With climate change, and particularly given this year’s unexpected rainfall in Chad, followed by the rivers bursting their banks, there is cause for concern for our planet, which is our home.
Through the performing arts, and in particular theatre, we will be working with pupils from secondary schools in the Chagoua and Dembé neighbourhoods of the 7th arrondissement of N’Djamena to encourage them, using the ten keywords, to reflect and create scenes and images that can help to engage and raise awareness amongst the public. We are an integral part of the planet and we must take practical steps and actions to ensure its survival.
Togo Caravan
Association Jeunesse active du Togo
Drawing • Singing • Poetry • Directing
This project aims to foster creativity and improvisation in children through drawing, role-play and singing.
This project aims, broadly speaking, to revitalise the French language with a view to promoting self-expression amongst young people through various forms of literary creation. Our objectives:
- To promote the emergence of a new form of leadership embodied by young people, whose style will be rooted in the cultural way of life characteristic of the Francophone world;
- To foster a love of the French language amongst young people in the French-speaking world and encourage them to express themselves correctly.
Togo Caravan
Kadam-Kadam Association (Togo)
Street arts • Theatre • Puppetry • Reading • Citizenship
Based in Lomé, the Kadam-Kadam Association has been working for over twenty years to promote human development through art, culture and education.
Convinced that artistic creation is a powerful force for empowerment and social cohesion, she develops projects that promote self-expression, the sharing of knowledge and dialogue between communities.
A street festival, a mobile library, arts workshops, support for female artists, giant puppets and community initiatives make up a rich programme that showcases local talent and cultural heritage. A participatory project that places creativity, inclusion and the French-speaking world at the heart of building a more united world.
