The New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures

Founded in June 2020, the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures – Nous - is an institute dedicated to preserving and promoting Louisiana’s heritage cultures (including Cadien, Creole, and Indigenous communities) and minority language communities across the United States. Our activities focus on three main areas: [1] Cultural Center: Based in the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans, we host regular exhibitions, conferences, concerts, language workshops, and film screenings. [2] Creative Studio: We create original publications, films, exhibitions - and even albums. We produced six original films and documentaries in Louisiana Creole that have been showcased at film festivals worldwide, including the Cannes Film Festival. We also have curated three original exhibitions. Our latest exhibition, Haiti-Louisiana: Tides of Freedom (done with Max Jean-Louis) opened at our cultural center and was shown at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Currently, we are working on a major project with the Library of Congress, Musique(s) to document Louisiana music, which will culiminate in an album, documentary, and exhibition in early 2025. [3] Programs: Through our Le Lab accelerator program, we have worked with creative entrepreneurs to create businesses and nonprofits that support Louisiana culture. We have raised $120,000 over three years for this program and led to the creation of four startups and businesses. We also run scholarship programs with Fulbright France and have residency programs for creatives from across the French-speaking world. Our dream is for New Orleans and Louisiana to become a global hub of Francophone culture that attracts world class talent and fosters sustainable careers in culture. We’re changing the narrative through promoting our culture and language.