An educational and cultural project: the Caravane des dix mots at the Alliance Française de Lyon

Launched in 2003, the Caravane des dix mots is a cultural project that brings together artists, teachers and the general public to celebrate the French language. Each year, the programme highlights ten words chosen by Francophone organisations to encourage creativity, dialogue and self-expression. These words become the starting point for a variety of activities, such as artistic workshops, performances and debates, celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity.

Beyond these local initiatives, the Caravane des dix mots is part of a global approach, advocating an inclusive French-speaking world open to all cultures. Drawing on an international network of players, it creates and shares teaching tools, publishes works on the language and proposes initiatives to promote the role of French as a social and cultural link.

Every two years since 2008, it has organised an international forum as part of the Francophonie Summit. This event brings together participants from all over the world to discuss educational and artistic practices, while strengthening collaboration between the various French-speaking territories. In this way, the Caravane des dix mots has established itself as a major player in promoting the French language through creation and exchange.

In 2025, the Alliance Française de Lyon is implementing this new project through a dynamic partnership led by Nathalie Bonnin, educational and cultural mediator, and the Alliance Française de Lyon teaching team.

24 language workshops will be organised throughout the year, at the rate of two workshops per month. These sessions, lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours, will be carefully adapted to different language levels, from A1 to C1, to ensure an enriching experience for all the students, the Alliance Française de Lyon teaching team and the Caravane des dix mots.

In addition to these monthly workshops, a half-yearly artistic workshop will be offered. This multi-level event will bring together participants from different backgrounds for a moment of artistic sharing.

This project sets a new horizon for the Alliance Française de Lyon: offering a stimulating environment where learning French becomes an immersive, cultural and creative experience. Thanks to the mediation of Nathalie Bonnin, the teachers at the Alliance Française de Lyon and the Caravane des dix mots teaching team, learners will be able to develop their language skills and their openness to the world, while at the same time enhancing their origins, creativity and self-confidence.