What is "carte blanche"

Carte blanche \Carte` blanche"\ [F., fr. OF. carte paper + -blanc, blanche, white. See 1st Card.] A blank paper, with a person's signature, etc., at the bottom, given to another person, with permission to superscribe what conditions he pleases. Hence: Unconditional terms; unlimited authority. [1913 Webster] ||

1707, blank paper, French, literally "white paper" (see card (n.) + blank (adj.)); figurative sense of "full discretionary power" is from 1766.

n. Unlimited discretionary power to act; unrestricted authority.

n. complete freedom or authority to act

Carte Blanche is a South African investigative journalism television series that airs on M-Net during prime time viewing on Sunday nights, currently at 19:00. It was launched in 1988 and has since earned credibility amongst South African viewers for its investigation into corruption, consumer issues and current events. The series also has received numerous awards.

Carte blanche ( French for blank or white card) or its Spanish language variant, carta blanca, may refer to:

• Blank cheque, a cheque that has no numerical value entered, but is already signed
• Full Powers, the authority of a person to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of a sovereign state
• A NATO exercise in 1955 that shocked observers by the projection of casualties from nuclear weapons even in the allied Federal Republic of Germany

Carte Blanche may also refer to:

Carte Blanche is a compilation album by Algerian raï artist Rachid Taha, consisting of songs he recorded with Mohammed Amini, Mokthar Amini and Jérôme Savy when they formed a band called Carte de Séjour, along with songs from his more recent solo albums. It was released in 1997 by Barclay, and produced by Steve Hillage.

Valencia features the singing of Kirsty Hawkshaw. A video clip was made for " Ya Rayah" Taha and Bruno Maman co-wrote "Indie (1+1+1)", for which a video clip was also made.

Carte Blanche is the second studio album by American hip hop rapper Phat Kat, released April 3, 2007 on Look Records in the United States. It is the follow-up to his previous album The Undeniable (2004).

Carte Blanche is a James Bond novel written by Jeffery Deaver. Commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications, it was published in the United Kingdom by Hodder & Stoughton on 26 May 2011 and was released in the United States by Simon & Schuster on 14 June 2011. Carte Blanche is the thirty-seventh original James Bond novel and the first to have a contemporary setting since The Man with the Red Tattoo by Raymond Benson was published in 2002. The title and cover artwork were unveiled on 17 January 2011, at a special launch event at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai.

Carte Blanche is the Norwegian national company of contemporary dance, based in Bergen in western Norway. Since August 2008 the artistic and general director of the company is Bruno Heynderickx from Belgium. Choreographers who have recently worked with Carte Blanche include Ina Christel Johannessen, Alan Lucien Øyen, Sharon Eyal (from Batsheva Dance Company), and Rui Horta.

The company produces a minimum of three new choreographic works a year and performs an average of four to six productions every year. While the home base of the company is in Bergen, the company spends lots of time touring elsewhere in Norway (e.g. Oslo Opera House), but also abroad. Some recent international performances include:

• "Klokka 3 om ettermiddagen" (3 o'clock in the afternoon) by Ina Christel Johannessen at the "Ice hot – Nordic dance platform" festival in Stockholm, Sweden,
• "Corps de Walk" by Sharon Eyal in Turku, Finland, as a part of city's activities as a European Capital of Culture in 2011
• "Ambra" by Ina Christel Johannessen, a co-production between Carte Blanche and Iceland Dance Company staged at the Reykjavík Arts Festival and the Bergen International Festival. Johannessen received the 2008 Norwegian Critics Price for her choreography of Ambra.
• "Killer Pig" and "Love" by Sharon Eyal at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Becket, MA, USA

The company has an international crew of about 15 dancers. During the audition in January 2011, 170 candidates representing 28 nationalities were competing for two vacancies.

The history of Carte Blanche in Bergen starts in 1989, first as a regional dance theatre. After a turbulent start including a bankruptcy, the company has gained a solid position, and is currently the national contemporary dance theatre of Norway. Carte Blanche is owned and funded by the Norwegian state (70%), the County of Hordaland (15%) and the City of Bergen (15%).