FESTIVAL VIVACES ! #8
Of plants and people: family stories
Program developed and produced by the association Pépins production
From 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The eighth edition of Festival Vivaces ! explores the relationship between plants and humans. From the universal nomenclature for plant families adopted by eighteenth-century botanists to the use of plants in human society, the festival this year revives a sense of family !
Since 2018, Festival Vivaces ! lets the plants in La Villette’s “Jardins Passagers” speak in this annual meet-up for the large family of gardeners and anyone who wants to find out more about nature. Each year, in addition to its market for perennials, the festival offers a pathway to discover new ways of looking at the world of plants and their interactions with other living things. This eighth edition explores plant families by recounting the relationship that humanity has forged with the plant world – from the organisation of human life with plants (for the purposes of feeding, healing, adornment, and contemplation) to the universal nomenclature for plant families adopted by eighteenth-century botanists – and to the families reconstituted by advances in genetics. Recognising the family relationships between plants and the common traits of their botanical families to identify their typical qualities for a garden and discovering the wealth of Latin plant names in terms of the valuable clues they provide to gardeners, this festival is also a journey back through the history of humanity and its many cultures, from ancient times to the present day. Actually, maybe you should ask yourself, doesn’t your family have its own plant history to tell?
PROGRAM
From 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., the gardeners’ market features a selection of hardy perennial plants offered by nursery growers from the Paris region, along with gardening advice, the Park Bookstore, and the Bistrot La Timbale.
Le Jardin du Morvan, a longtime Festival partner and a nursery renowned among gardeners for its hardy perennials,
Les Invasifs, cultivating and sharing plants at the Campus Necker Garden in Paris,
Pariciflore, wild plants from the Paris Basin grown in Seine-Saint-Denis (93),
Pépinières Patrick Nicolas, specialists in climbing plants, shrubs, and sempervivum,
Saveurs vivaces, edible perennial plants,
Botanic Art paysage, mixed plantings and rare species,
Les Jardiniers à vélo, offering garden advice, plants, and bulbs,
Pépins Production, neighborhood nurseries from Greater Paris.
From 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., meetings, walks, and artistic performances:
At 11 a.m. · Inaugural Walk – Et l’humanité nomma les plantes.
Led by Michel Chauvet, ethnobotanist, linguist, and author of Etymologia Botanica: Dictionnaire des noms latins des plantes (Biotope Editions).
Explore the long history of the relationship between humans and plants through their scientific and common names, which hold treasures of ancient civilizations. Followed by a book signing at the Parc Bookshop stand.
From 2 p.m · The family album
A discovery trail to get acquainted with the botanical and utilitarian families of plants, featuring scientific and gardening workshops, as well as sensory experiences for all.
With participation from the Biolab of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, Les Croqueurs de Pommes, Les Invasifs, and with the support of the naturalist magazine La Salamandre.
From 2:30 p.m. · Impromptu genetic botany sessions
Led by Alban Mariette, Research Officer at INRAE, specializing in Plant Cell Dynamics and Architecture.
At 2:30 p.m. · Olfactory botanical walk
Led by Guilio Giorgi, agronomist, landscape architect, and ecologist. Author of Botanique olfactive – Smelling Nature Through the Seasons (Éditions Nez). Many plants produce aromatic compounds. While gardeners know this well, botanists rarely exploit it… During this walk, immerse your nose in the plants of the Jardins Passagers to discover the typical scent notes of a plant family and learn to recognize them with your eyes closed!
Followed by a book signing at the Parc Bookshop stand.
From 3 p.m. · Readings from Simples mercis. Des ex-voto végétaux
Texts by Pierre Lieutaghi with illustrations by Christine Patry-Morel (Éditions Thierry Magnier, 2012), read by Stéphane Schler and Marina Chojnowska. A tribute to the ethnobotanist Pierre Lieutaghi.
At 4 p.m. · Rereading History – women, men, and plants!
With Tassanee Alleau, PhD student and visual artist, and Michel Chauvet, ethnobotanist. This session explores the history of plant knowledge, often attributed to men, and highlights female practices that have long been overlooked—from apothecaries to healers, from herbalists to witches.
At 4:30 p.m. · Philosophy Café: What a Family!?
Blood family, chosen family, adoptive or blended… What does this human community evoke for us? Workshop led by Yasmine Bargache, actress and philosophy mediator.
A workshop for adults and parent-child pairs, from age 8.
At 5:30 p.m. · Workshop – Root imprint: what do we imagine about our roots?
With Tassanee Alleau, visual artist and PhD student in the history of science.
A journey through plant roots to reconnect with our own roots.
…And also participatory collections for the Family Herbarium, as well as plant curiosities, with a Plant Oracle.
Find the full program at https://www.pepinsproduction.fr/festival-vivaces/
Practical information
Bike Chap
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Bike racks are available inside the Espace Chapiteaux area. You may leave your electric bike there with the battery attached.
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
Jardins passagers
Metro
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de Pantin station
Bus
Bus 75, 151 - Porte de Pantin stop
- Accessible to people with reduced mobility (PRM). Please contact 01 40 03 75 75
- Partially accessible to deaf individuals, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to individuals with hearing aids, depending on the programming.
- Partially accessible to visually impaired and blind individuals.
- Accessible to individuals with psychological, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities.
- Several dining options are available in the park before or after the show. Discover them HERE.
A project initiated by Pépins Production
