By Heidi Trautmann

Make Music, the initial title was, an invitation to come out onto the street once a year and out of joie de vivre to make music, anybody…  grand orchestras and musicians down to children who learn to play the flute or whatever.

That was the idea of a Frenchman, once appointed Director of Music and Dance, M. Maurice Fleuret at the request of Jack Lang based on a concept by an American musician Joel Cohen. ‘Make music’ first took place in 1982 in the centre of Paris. Since then, the festival joined the row of international festivals on June 21 every year and is organised in 460 cities in 110 countries around the world and for the second time now in North Cyprus by the Institut Français. The purpose is to make music in the open, away from concert halls, the musicians to step down from their high pedestal and high entrance fees and do music for the public free and approachable, but also to give amateur musicians the opportunity to perform.

The French cultural institutions are asked to entertain such festivities in their region to spread the idea.

For the second time The House opened its garden with the Institut Français and the partner C-Quals, a Language and Culture School,  to receive the public at their costs with free buffet and drinks for all. It took place in the early evening and there were many children with their parents enjoying the music and dance offered on the stage, folklore and music groups with the special guests The Healers and Gypocampe from France.  Ms Ferdiye Ersoy, the director of C-Quals welcomed the guests and I saw some representatives from the Institut Français’s main office in Nicosia South and Claire Rheinart who is representing the Institute in the North of Cyprus.

The garden of The House is a fine place to host such an event and children were sitting on the green artificial lawn.  A very nice idea, may it be repeated next year.