April Cultural Calendar: First Lady Dominique Ouattara Hosts Minister Françoise Remarck
First Lady Dominique Ouattara received Minister of Culture and Francophonie Françoise Remarck in audience on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at her office in Cocody.
This meeting provided an opportunity for the Minister to present to the First Lady the program of major cultural activities planned for the month of April, a particularly rich agenda that reflects the dynamism of the Ivorian cultural sector.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ms. Françoise Remarck emphasized the importance placed on culture at the highest levels of government: “As you know, Côte d’Ivoire holds a very important place in the President of the Republic’s vision from a cultural perspective. And this is fully embodied and supported by the First Lady, who attends all cultural events.” ” Continuing, the Minister highlighted the density of the cultural program for the month of April: “This April will be particularly rich, with numerous activities that demonstrate Ivorian cultural diversity.”
She went on to announce that the festivities would kick off with Abidjan Art Week: “It starts with Abidjan Art Week, an event organized by Abidjan’s galleries, which offers a chance to discover artworks and artists over the course of a weekend, including a ‘Galleries Night’ scheduled for next Saturday. ”
She then mentioned the Abidjan Performing Arts Market (MASA), a major event on the African cultural calendar: “Right after that, we have MASA, the largest state-sponsored biennial. Côte d’Ivoire is hosting this biennial event, which will take place from April 11 to 18, with over 500 artists and nearly 500,000 participants expected. More than 300 programmers from around the world will be present to discover artists in various disciplines such as the performing arts, storytelling, and puppetry. »
Ms. Françoise Remarck also announced the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival (FEMUA), which will feature Gabon as this year’s guest of honor, as well as the Abidjan International Book Fair (SILA), scheduled for the end of the month: “There will also be FEMUA, with Gabon as the guest country. At the end of April, alongside FEMUA, SILA will also take place.”
For the Minister, this concentration of events fully illustrates the country’s cultural potential. “This is an exceptionally culturally rich April that will demonstrate, once again, the richness, power, and cultural diversity embodied in particular by our youth, for the benefit of all people,” said the Minister.
She further explained her visit to the First Lady by citing her ongoing commitment to the cultural sector. “Given the First Lady’s involvement, it was important for me to come and share this excellent news with her, for the benefit of our artists, the people, and all of Côte d’Ivoire,” added Ms. Françoise Remarck, Minister of Culture and Francophonie.
This meeting confirms, once again, the special attention paid by the highest Ivorian authorities to the promotion of culture, which is considered an essential driver of national influence and development.