On April 1, 2025, the French Center of Excellence and Wexner Center for the Arts co-hosted a series of events dedicated to honoring and exploring French and Francophone culture and language as a part of the global Nuit des Idées celebration. Organized by Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, the Night of Ideas (La nuit des idées) was a dynamic event happening in cities across the US aimed at fostering dialogue on urgent global issues.
This year’s theme, Common Ground, guided an evening of incisive talks, discussions, and performances hosted by the French Center of Excellence at Ohio State in partnership with the Wexner Center for the Arts. This interdisciplinary gathering of Ohio State scholars and artists included a keynote from Department of History Professor Bart Elmore, and flash talks and Q&As by French and Italian Professors Ryan Joyce and Jonathan Mullins, Comparative Studies Professor Maurice Stevens, Design Professor Fabienne Münch, and Folklore Studies Professor Dorothy Noye.
Also as part of the Nuit des Idées celebration, On Board(hers) performed at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Set within the gallery space, the performance—led by Dr. Lucille Toth, professor in the Department of French and Italian—wove together movement, voice, and testimony to explore themes of migration, memory, and resilience. Drawing on the lived experiences of participants from Iran, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Turkey, Uganda, and Venezuela, the piece invited the audience into an embodied archive—where personal gestures became political acts and collective movement gave form to untold stories. This site-specific work is part of a broader artistic and research initiative that amplifies immigrant voices through dance and narrative performance.
Thank you to all students, faculty, and community friends who came together to celebrate and honor French and Francophone culture across the globe and on campus. These events, all of which truly embodied this year's theme of common ground, were an excellent representation of what interdisciplinary learning can do for world communities.
Photo credits: Night of Ideas at the Wexner Center for the Arts, April 1, 2025. Courtesy of the Wexner Center for the Arts. OnBoard(hers) photos credit: Dean Taylor.
