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Jersey, Guernsey and French “cousins” will be getting together next week for the biggest festival to celebrate and promote the Norman language and culture.
Around 50 performers will be arriving in the Island as it’s Jersey’s turn to host La Fête Nouormande – a festival which has been held every year since 1999.
Organiser Gerraint Jennings said it’s one of the few opportunities for Norman speakers to get together and speak to each other in their native tongue, share songs, stories, poetry and dance.
He said: “It’s a chance to get a flavour of traditional Normandy that we share and by working together with the different associations across the borders we can show there is a future for the language and the culture whilst celebrating the heritage of the past.”
Dancers will be parading through town on Saturday 14 June dressed in traditional costumes and waving flags and the Norman market will be back at the Weybridge offering a selection of French fayre.
The Island’s Jèrriais-singing pop-folk band - the Badlabecques - who have been helping to revitalise the language, will also be performing at a free gig on the Saturday night.
You can find out more about what’s on during the festival which runs from Monday 9 June to Sunday 15 June at www.jerriais.org.je
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