Alliance Française Bangkok: A Cultural Oasis amidst the Hustle & Bustle of Bangkok
By Kathleen Pokrud
Alliance Française (AF) Bangkok was established in 1912 as Thailand’s premier Franco-Thai cultural centre under the patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Located at their new address next to One Bangkok, Elite+ sat down with the executive director, Sylvain Bano, to learn what Alliance Française Bangkok has to offer to the Thai public in the heart of this bustling city.
Mr Bano arrived in Bangkok amid the Covid challenges in October 2020. He explained his liaison with the organization, “My professional background is with the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture in France. More recently, my civil servant role has focused on cultural institutions abroad. I have worked in various Alliance Française positions and locations such as the Czech Republic and Ukraine. I was the director of the Alliance Française of Odessa in South Ukraine from 2011-2015. Other work experience includes being responsible for international cooperation at the Museum Quai Branly and speech writing for the French cultural minister. I was happy to come back to Thailand as I had spent three years here in 2006-2009. I have always enjoyed my two roles in cultural and foreign affairs.”
Mr Bano clarified the nature of Alliance Française “As an independent, non-profit organisation, we work as a self-sufficient entity, like a company, with a cultural purpose. 80 percent of our income comes from our courses and the rest from our other activities such as translations, ticketing and space rentals. In Bangkok, we have a team of about 45 staff and an annual enrolment of 2,500 students. My role is to manage the organization in cooperation with other entities such as the French Embassy as well as other embassies and Thai and Francophone organizations, to fulfil our missions. Our two main focuses are promoting the French language and promoting the culture of French-speaking countries.”
He went on, “Alliance Française Bangkok, like our network in 137 countries, is registered as a local Thai organization. Our aim is to build a bond between Alliance Française and the local communities. We have a volunteer Board of Directors with different skills and strengths, who generally serve three years to four years and assist in developing strategies. My job is to align the visions between the French ambassador and the board.”
Looking ahead, Mr Bano explained, “Our three key words for next year are “Youth, Digital and Business”, according to our new president, Khun Ariya Banomyong. On the subject of youth, we aim to be more visible to parents. We are now seeing a progression of our younger students who have expanded from less than 10 percent to the current 25 percent of all who we teach. Thus, now, there is a need to train teachers for our younger children. We also offer summer camps for a set of cultural activities for children to explore, apart from learning French language.
Currently, 60% of our students study online, a “digital” challenge. Nevertheless, thanks to our equipment and teachers’ expertise, we are able to offer the best learning experience even with a non-physical digital format. And finally, one of our last challenges, considering the available spaces of our Alliance Française building due to the growth of digital learning, is to become a ‘French hub’, like a ‘House of France’, which would enable different entities related to France to establish themselves in the same venue, enhancing cooperation, cultural projects and business opportunities.”
Next door to Alliance Française is the prominent One Bangkok. Mr Bano believes that the project will be a great asset to AF. “Our modern building which houses an auditorium of 220 seats, with a professional sound and lighting system, is a perfect venue for screenings, seminars, talks and concerts. This year in March, we will host an entire month of Francophonie cultural activities here.”
As our interview drew to a close, Mr Bano reiterated, “Alliance Française will continue to strive to be the premier Franco-Thai cultural centre, promoting culture and teaching French language. We provide a French environment in the heart of Bangkok.”
