A poetic and musical journey, between land and sea, through the heart of our memories

A poetic and musical journey, between land and sea, through the heart of our memories

CÔTE À CÔTE / A territory driven project creating links between two neighbouring villages through the eyes of the other

 

Title: CÔTE À CÔTE

Commissioned by: Lieux Publique, Citron Jaune, Ville de Martigues y Théâtre Sémaphore.

Format: Workshops, un-announced appearances and a big final public event

Dates: April 26th – May 4th, 2024

Place: Martigues & Port – de – Bouc (France)

 

SYNOPSIS

Martigues and Port-de-Bouc are two towns situated side by side (CÔTE À CÔTE). Connected by the Canal de Caronte, they share a history linked to the port, the sea and migrations. More than 70 participants, most of them residents of a hostel for newcomers and asylum seekers, worked together with the company for several days to culminate in a spectacular moment with more than 300 spectators: A poetic and musical journey, between land and sea, through the heart of our memories.

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Our proposal responded to a specific need: the need of many of the newcomers in the community to be seen, to tell their story outside of the tedious context of the bureaucratic procedures they have to go to in order to get settled in their new country, and while doing so potentially meet others and share their experiences. Our starting point for the work process allowed us to create an environment in which the participants felt protected, but at the same time, left them enough space to express themselves.

We worked with them on basic notions such as ‘silence’, the gaze, ‘being together’, ‘feeling part of’. We asked each participant to bring a photo of someone they had left behind.

Our aim at creating silence and generating a space for The Other to be seen and acknowledged has proved to be interesting and appropriate. We created a journey which took place after dark and which gave the audience a sense of leaving behind something known and heading towards the unknown. 

The theatrical proposal introduced the different groups arriving from a distance, a distance generated a void. Everything in absolute silence, broken at times only by distant music. Everything was set to create an encounter, an unexpected gathering. A meeting in a peculiar land, under a huge railway bridge full of stories from the past, a meeting between eyes that told their stories and eyes that wanted to listen to them. Only in this way, we managed to end in a cathartic collective cry and dance.

The experiences of the workshop participants, people with a recent and traumatic migratory past, made us see that, once again, the artistic object provides distance, protects the individual and turns reality into pure emotion.

 

ACTORS

Cristina Aguirre, Maïka Eggericx, Claudio Levati, Andrea Lorenzetti, Lluis Petit, Josep Roca , Eduardo Rodilla, Santi Rovira, Gary Shochat, Prisca Villa, Mamadou Diallo, Jan Estebanell , Emma Rovira , Greta Levati , Petra Lou Driss, Monique Ulpat , Anastasio Agapidis , Brigitte Savard, Bardzakian Isabelle, Benmalek Najat, Chilli Pia, Cros Philippe, Diallo Aminata, Fargetton Dominique, Giaretti Louisiane, Lopez Stephane, Savard Monique, Bali Souleymane,Blanchard Agnes, Abakar Kabashe, Abdalla Ahmed, Ahmad Ismail Mhamed, Ahmadi Abdulbasier, Aydin Mikail, Bah Souleymane, Barry Alseny, Cisse Safiatou, Diallo Aminata, Dago Gbadjo Lea, Gbale Deba Leatittia Joelle, Diallo Oussoumani, Diallo Oumar Diogo, Ghanem Louay, Haile Endryas, Hossain Ibrahim, Hussein Moudjahid, Khalil Abdallah, Malakhail Abdul Baset, Naseri Nasim, Niazai Ghairat, Pasha Hazrat Bilal, Poele Laurent, Sadat Sayed  Munir, Tenzin Phuntsok, Waleed Mohamed, Yacoub Adam Ismail, Isabelle Outre, Christelle Tergou

ARTISTIC COORDINATION

Prisca Villa, Santi Rovira, Gary Shochat

MUSICAL DIRECTION

Thomas Le Saulnier / La Fausse Compagnie, Olivier Ronfard 

MUSICIANS

Olivier Ronfard, Thomas Andurand, Corinne Arbogast, André Colomar, Hervé Dequidt, Sandie Dhorne, Clara Dhorne, Tom Dhorne, Laurent Dhorne, Jean Jorge, Gabriel Mula, Anthony Moreno, Jean-Marie Moreno, Irène Patris, Francine Visconti, Serge Visconti, Philippe Goalard, , Corine Bouvet, Loubna Bechagra, Safa Bechagra, Nora Amrouche, Ismaïl Amrouche, Fatoumata Doumbauya, Gaël Lambin, Maika Eggericx, Claudio Levati.

ACCOMPANIMENT OF PARTICIPANTS

Nina Driss, Agathe Laforce, Azucena Moya Morcillo, Lou Montézin

PRODUCTION

Rita Stivala

DISTRIBUCIÓN 

HH Producties

PHOTOS

@Hugo Frezal, @kamchatka

A CARRER 88, S.L. PRODUCTION, accompanied by HH Producties.