L’Odyssée/The
Odyssey 2008-2009
On May 31st, 2008 - “The Odyssey 2008 in Senegal” was
presented at a public film screening in the Bois de l’Aune
amphitheatre as part of the Aix en Provence cultural event « Ma
Ville est un grand livre » or “My town is one big
book”. 2008 : « Les semeurs de vie » / “Reapers
of life”: in Senegal with children from both France and Louga.
With the encouragement of the French Embassy in Senegal, the Jean
Mermoz Centre and its Director in St-Louis, the children’s
teacher Mme Vargas from Aix and the team of supporting artists
who accompanied us, we continued this Odyssey with a handful of
children from Aix en Provence, France.
In April 2008, on tour in Senegal – The Regional Cultural
Centre of Louga, the Cultural and Linguistic Centre of Jean Mermoz
in St-Louis, Senegal: bringing the children of Louga and those
from Aix together.
The play was performed in French as spoken in France, in French
as spoken in Senegal and in Woloff. The close complicity of the
children on stage led to a dynamic favorable to permitting the
world of fantasy to emerge, through their imaginations. (Refer
to the letter from the Director of the St-Louis Cultural Centre).
2009: The setting up of a new cycle: France, Quebec, Morocco.
Investigations and meetings.
Associated author: Jean Cagnard – playwriter-
Associated structures: The Dar Bellaj Foundation in Marrakech,
Morocco, the Théâtre des Gros Becs – youth theatre
in Quebec, the Henri Wallon school in Aix en Provence, France.
Important events: February 09: Journey to Marrakech and meeting
with the Dar Bellarj team.
The teacher Nathalie Vargas and the project leader Judith Arsenault
met with the director Maha El Madi and the artistic director Aziz
Bouyabrine, the families and the children and were able to discuss
many aspects of the Children’s Odyssey. Theatre workshops
were held all week long to rising enthusiasm.
The Foundation works very closely with “l’Ecole Supérieure
des Arts Visuels”/“the Visual Arts school” in
Marrakech and the possibility of exchanges are currently being
planned with the students.
Avril 09: Journey to Quebec, Schefferville and the town of Quebec.
A week of theatre workshops were provided for the children of the
Innu community of Schefferville. Unfortunately, due to the “highly
predominant social depletion”, the “consequences
of which risk putting the project’s long term plans into
peril …”, the Children’s Odyssey will not continue
its adventure in the far north with the Amerindian community.
The following week, the artistic director of Débrid’arts
travelled to Quebec where she met both the Director and a actor
from the “Théâtre des Gros Becs” as well
as a specialist in education associated with the Theatre. Future
possibilities were elaborated on and worked through and a school – St-Sacrement
du Quebec- is already currently preparing itself to be part of
the Odyssey’s future adventures.
June
09: •Theatre
and writing workshops with the group of children from the Henri
Wallon school in Aix en Provence.
•Meetings
with the teachers associated with the project.
• Writing of future artistic projects following an in-depth consultation
between with the artists and the teaching body.
July
09: Meeting with the team from the Théâtre Massalia,
Marseilles, meeting with the author Jean Cagnard and with Louise
Allaire (Théâtre de Gros Becs) during her stay in
France.
Each of these three meetings permitted the drawing up of perspectives
which will probably become concrete in 2010-2011. There is a possibility – though
yet to be confirmed – regarding the participation of the
Children’s Odyssey in the Biennial autumn 2011, with the
Théâtre Massalia.
Perspectives
2009-2011 : France- Quebec-Morocco.
Autumn 2009 : Reunions between artistic and educational
teams. Presentation of the project to the parents of the children
involved.
Work session with Jean Cagnard to elaborate the working methodology
with the 3 countries concerned.
Choice of them: Family Memories and Stories: tales of life, from
everyday tales to myths, from anecdotes to tales, the children’s
cabaret!
Inspired by texts, tales and « histoires pressées »/”quick
short stories” (Friot) or even films on the theme of the
family, we will explore, based on diverse ranges of oral as well
as written expression, the stories and tales from one culture to
another.
We will build on everyday events as they unfold from one day to
the next, but also based on the adventures of close family members– sometimes
through interviews – whom we admire or whom we may not like.
We will also draw from the fantastic stories of Fred Pellerin who
relates the story of the people of St-Elie de Kaxton, from the
texts written Suzanne Lebeau, or other various authors, the objective
being the emergence of singular aspects specific to each culture
drawn from the unpredictable poetry of children.
Based on these memories and after consultation with the artistic
team, Jean Cagnard will establish the sequences to be played out
which will then act as material for the final show, planned for
June 2011.
February
2010 : Résidence de travail à Marrakech.
Part of the team – the author Jean Cagnard, the video film
maker and the director will go to Morocco for a series of intensive
workshops with children of the Dar Bellarj Fondation.
Aziz Bouyabrine will provide us with his talent as a translator
and also as an artist associated with the project. Furthermore,
he is in contact with the local storytellers whom he wishes to
invite during our visit in order to engage them with the work the
children are doing.
Prior to this, a work plan will have been elaborated with the Artistic
Director of the Foundation, with students from the Visual arts
school, with the children and with our Débridarts’ team.
March
2010: Work in residence - Quebec.
Members of the team – including the author Jean Cagnard-
will go to Quebec for a series of intensive workshops with the
children of the St-Sacrement International school at the Théâtre
des Gros Becs.
Dominique Deblois, both an actress and educational advisor, will
follow the work suggested to the group of children so as to prolong
it by way of a series of workshops.
April 2010: Artists in residence: Video/Music Writing/theatre with
two CM1 classes (9-10 years) from Henri Wallon primary school.
Summer 2011: • Writing of the scenario based on all of
the elements gathered during the year from the different groups
associated
with the project.
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