Day 1 : eager for hope

187 moms and dads coming from 27 countries: under the mocking gaze of a luminescent world map flying over the stage of La Criée, ASSITEJ presented its pedigree during the opening ceremony of this French edition of Bright Generations, in Marseille. The tone of the speeches and the warm atmosphere in the room set the mood: vital strenght, undeniable tenacity, contagious unifying and liberating enthusiasm. Over the coming week, the aim will be to share our common foundation, a safe haven and a pledge for the future in these tumultuous times: performing for youth or TYA – Theater for Young Audiences. Inclusion, resilience, cultural rights, cooperation: the dice are cast, mixing action with words, just like the improvised hand-choreography by the vibrant Ambra Senatore. Denis Athimon, from Bob Théâtre – assisted by the young Anouk – playfully reminds us the political and social context of the 1960s, when ASSITEJ was born: a way of measuring the long journey, before turning towards what lies ahead.

The very next day, all teams were already working on these hopes.

Early in the morning at Joliette, an intimate discussion probed the impact of TYA on the transformation of our societies, from Brazil to Ghana, passing through Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Among the questions raised: Is TYA absolutely needed to survive or a medium for social transformation? Probably both, according to the speakers: it is empowering, it is an ally to fight addiction, and also a voice to the thoughts and commitments of children; sometimes also a way to ease religious tensions between communities. UK boldly reversed the top-down approach: a substantial recommendation paper has just been written for politicians ( A National Plan for Drama and Theatre Education ). Later in the morning, a “kitchen table conversation” was happening. Around the team of PlatO – TYA regional platform Pays de la Loire – disguised as cooks, ingredients, utensils, recipes were here to embody the talk: oven mitts for hot topics, molds to deconstruct… The tone was cheerful, bringing to light some current events, such as the growing reluctance of the National Education system toward some performances.

At 2 p.m., off to La Friche to attend a conference about the future of the sector’s structuring. A delightful warm-up with Dominique Bérody, who lyrically praised “the eagers for hope” to tell the quite recent story of French TYA, rooted in popular education. Besides him, many speakers (Assitej France and Assitej International, The French Ministry of Culture, ONDA…) remind the audience some historical milestones – the 2012 Manifesto, the 2014 Belle Saison,

the 2015 NOTRE law… – to note that the sector is currently establishing itself and gaining recognition, but it is also still fragile, particularly economically. It needs to update its projects, both in terms of gathering data and presenting solutions and recommendations. Among these: a reflection on governance models, including the participation of children in programming groups; or the implementation of a hospitality guide to promote conditions for encounters, hoping to continue nurturing bright seeds.