The Arts raise awareness and bring people together. My first artistic shock was when I arrived in Paris at age 13 and discovered the Centre George Pompidou. It cost me 12 euros and it changed my life.
One of our main objectives at the Alliance Française is to present art forms for free in public space to an audience who isn’t necessary used to going to theater or museums.  A perfect example is DC Microfiction: an artistic residence between artistic directors from France and local actors which produced two creative trails of short performances in the streets of Dupont Circle and Anacostia.
The Arts has become more and more entertaining and I think it should be more at the border, light in appearance but definitely thought provoking. A show, a play or an exhibit feeds your brain, challenges your intellect and makes you develop ideas. It makes you an actor of your life in a world where smart phones and easy fame tend to make you sleep.