{"id":6578,"date":"2026-11-05T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hacnumedia.org\/?p=6578"},"modified":"2026-11-05T12:09:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:09:25","slug":"novembre-numerique-what-ten-editions-tell-us-about-the-evolution-of-digital-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hacnumedia.org\/en\/novembre-numerique-what-ten-editions-tell-us-about-the-evolution-of-digital-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Novembre Num\u00e9rique: what ten editions tell us about the evolution of digital culture\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A decentralised, multifaceted event dedicated to digital culture, Novembre Num\u00e9rique is celebrating its tenth edition this year. The anniversary offers an opportunity to look back at the evolution of digital creation and the development of international ecosystems. A decade of change, revisited.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Through the French cultural network abroad, which operates in more than 140 countries worldwide, the Institut fran\u00e7ais gives considerable visibility to digital creation. This is particularly true of its flagship event, Novembre Num\u00e9rique,<\/a> which is celebrating its tenth edition in 2026. Every year, dozens of events dedicated to digital creation and culture are organised by institutions belonging to the cultural network around the world. Agn\u00e8s Alfandari, former head of the digital department and now director of international mobility and events, spearheaded the creation of the initiative in 2017. At the time, she had observed that digital creation lacked a dedicated public agency to support its international development, unlike cinema, which has the CNC, or publishing, which has the CNL. \u201cThat is still true today,\u201d<\/em> she argues. \u201cIn a sense, this remains a sector on the margins, and professionals\u2019 needs have yet to be properly identified.<\/em> \u201d Although the digital creation sector is considerably more structured than it was ten years ago, previous editions of Novembre Num\u00e9rique offer a way to measure just how far it has come. <\/p>\n\n

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Novembre Nume\u0301rique 2025 – Alliance Franc\u0327aise de Vancouver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Building an international network<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Novembre Num\u00e9rique was initially designed to help establish a new sector. It therefore had two objectives: to help professionals expand internationally, while also familiarising the entire French cultural network abroad with the ways in which it could support them. \u201cFrom the outset, we envisaged several strands to the event,\u201d Agn\u00e8s Alfandari recalls. \u201cThere were presentation programmes, but also workshops introducing people to digital tools. To make programming easier, we suggested works and formats to the institutions in the cultural network, creating something like a catalogue of projects that could easily travel and be presented elsewhere. We set out to identify content and formats that would allow our colleagues to discover the richness of this sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

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Novembre Num\u00e9rique 2025- Alliance Fran\u00e7aise Bogota – Gamgie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The challenge was to adapt the offer to the specific circumstances of each country and audience, as well as to local infrastructure. \u201cOne very basic question at the time was whether there was a Wi-Fi network, for example.\u201d<\/em> Working across the world made it essential to adapt the programme to local conditions. One practical response was the development by the Institut fran\u00e7ais of a VR distribution kit, including a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, headsets and other equipment. This approach to broad distribution also led to the creation of digital exhibitions designed to be adaptable. \u201c Not every Institut fran\u00e7ais, Alliance Fran\u00e7aise or partner has a 100-square-metre exhibition space. We therefore made sure that exhibitions could also work in a small room in a media library,\u201d<\/em> she explains. In this respect, the challenges of distributing immersive works have changed relatively little. Standardisation and technical autonomy remain central topics of discussion across the immersive sector (). see Does XR call for a rethink of distribution?<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n

When digital technology takes off<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

As Agn\u00e8s Alfandari points out, \u201cthe strength of digital technology is that it operates through objects people use every day: their phones, computers and game consoles.\u201d This makes it a powerful tool for reaching younger audiences. Digital creation was therefore naturally poised to grow. Novembre Num\u00e9rique’s success followed suit, first in countries where digital creation was already thriving, such as Taiwan, the United States and Canada, and then rapidly in other, sometimes unexpected places. In Madagascar, for instance, the local Institut fran\u00e7ais was among the first to organise a Novembre Num\u00e9rique event, and visitor numbers at the institution soared over a single weekend.<\/p>\n\n

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Novembre Num\u00e9rique 2025 – RDC Kinshasa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Encouraged by such successes, the number of institutions in the network organising Novembre Num\u00e9rique grew from 35 cities in 28 countries in 2017 to 160 cities in 70 countries in 2025. \u201cThese figures reflect the growing reach of an initiative that has gradually become an established event within the French cultural network abroad,\u201d<\/em> says Hannah Bellicha, head of digital creation at the Institut fran\u00e7ais. \u201cBeyond the numbers, we are also seeing qualitative changes: projects are now more structured, more firmly rooted in local ecosystems, and supported by strategic partnerships with cultural, academic, educational and business organisations.\u201d<\/em>South Korea is a good example of this collective momentum. \u201cSeveral major players in the Korean cultural ecosystem, including the Bucheon International Festival, Incheon Art Platform and the National Asian Culture Center, are involved in Novembre Num\u00e9rique.\u201d<\/em>Growing interest is also reflected in the success of the call for projects open to institutions in the network. In 2025, the number of applications rose by 30%, while the amount of funding requested increased by 49%. One further lesson stands out: \u201cThe success of the initiative depends less on growth for its own sake than on its ability to respond to the very different realities of the French cultural network abroad and to build lasting partnerships,\u201d<\/em> Hannah Bellicha notes. <\/p>\n\n

A new era of digital hybridisation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Some indicators point to the growing prominence of particular technologies in recent editions, notably AI in 2025. \u201cThe emphasis placed on AI in 2025 was not the result of a directive imposed on our overseas institutions. Rather, it was a suggestion based on our ongoing work to monitor and identify the major issues shaping the digital creation sector,\u201d Hannah Bellicha explains. Since 2017, the formats on offer have also gradually diversified, encompassing video games, technology-enhanced performing arts and audiovisual performances, alongside a growing convergence towards immersive experiences. \u201cThey now occupy an important place in the programmes. The increasing maturity of XR productions, their international distribution and the availability of shared programming tools have all helped strengthen their presence across the network,\u201d Hannah Bellicha observes. Have immersive experiences taken the place of interactive installations and participatory projects, which until recently were at the forefront of digital creation? \u201c These formats remain highly relevant for organising mediation activities and reaching broad audiences, particularly young people and school groups, in a wide range of contexts.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Novembre Nume\u0301rique 2025 – Alliance Franc\u0327aise de Vancouver<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

At the heart of social issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The evolution of digital culture can also be measured by its ability to engage with contemporary social issues. One example is the 2026 theme, \u201cBetween the lines\u201d,<\/a> which proposes four scenarios exploring how alternative futures might be imagined (editor’s note: the selection was curated by HACNUMedia). In Costa Rica, the Alliance Fran\u00e7aise in San Jos\u00e9 has been involved in Novembre Num\u00e9rique for many years and has been developing themed programmes since 2022. In 2022, Les Pieds sur Terre<\/em> explored the relationship between nature and technology. In 2024, Habiter et Cohabiter<\/em> brought together the city, the ocean, space, games and the body. In 2026, Demain Tout Est Possible<\/em> features an immersive performance, video game-related activities and an exhibition accompanied by AI workshops, including one with artist Anne Horel.<\/a>\u201c This approach helps foster new collaborations and strengthen local skills,\u201d<\/em> explains Silvia Diaz, head of cultural activities at the Alliance Fran\u00e7aise.<\/p>\n\n

Despite an unstable political situation, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most active outposts of Novembre Num\u00e9rique, with initiatives reaching audiences in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. \u201c For some of our visitors, the<\/em> ESCAPE \u2013 Digital generations exhibition, <\/em><\/a> presented in 2025, was the first exhibition dedicated entirely to digital creation they had ever seen. It featured projections, VR headsets, sound and visual experiences, and interactive artworks,\u201d<\/em> says cultural coordinator Ma\u00eblys Loriot. In Kinshasa, the exhibition welcomed around 1,250 visitors, helping to broaden access to digital culture. The success of Let’s Draw, <\/em><\/a> a participatory mapping project by Maxime Touroute, <\/a> also revealed the extent of this interest. \u201cPeople stayed late into the evening to draw and watch their creations projected live. Virtual reality was also a real discovery and proved very popular. It made us want to offer these experiences beyond the month of November.\u201d<\/em> VR events are now regularly included in the programme. \u201cIt’s a format that attracts a younger audience in particular, including people who might not necessarily have come along to a traditional exhibition<\/em> \u201d.<\/p>\n\n

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