Description :
This episode of the Radio Pais podcast is part of the European project Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana in French), co-financed by the European Union, which aims to promote Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity through testimonies, oral traditions and the experiences of local communities. In this programme, Yannick Jolen, an artist from Vendée and a defender of regional languages, presents his artistic approach and reflects on the relationship between language, territory, memory and identity.
Yannick Jolen discusses the linguistic unity that connects Poitou, Charentes, Vendée and neighbouring regions, highlighting the links between his mother tongue and Occitan. He explains that regional languages should not be understood as imperfect forms of a dominant language, but as rich and creative systems with their own vocabulary, rhythms and ways of describing the world. For him, the diversity of local speech is not a weakness but a cultural wealth, reflecting the landscapes, traditions and experiences of the communities that created them.
The artist also rejects a nationalist approach to the defence of regional languages, arguing instead for a poetic and human vision based on diversity and openness. He describes language as a living expression of a territory, connected to nature, everyday life and collective memory. Through his performances, research and encounters, Yannick Jolen seeks to restore dignity to forgotten voices and demonstrate that the survival of languages depends on recognising their value and ensuring their transmission to future generations.