Lou Lamparo, Daily Chronicles

In Provence, the “lamparo” referred to a nighttime fishing technique, where fish were attracted by a light fixed at the front of the boat. On a daily basis, these chronicles will enlight some key moments of the program.

By Julie Bordenave, journalist specialized in performing arts, circus, and public space (Zébuline, Théâtres, La Scène…)

Resilience & inclusion

To the overarching question running through the week—”Is theater a survival tool?”—the answer is sometimes yes, with no doubt. On Wednesday, several experiences showed this reality in countries devastated by war or natural disasters. On April 25, 2015, in Nepal, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake ravaged the small town of Gorkha and its surroundings. On February 6, 2023, another devastating earthquake struck Turkey. In both cases, the consequences were similar: beyond the immediate survival challenges, there was also deep psychological distress. In Nepal in 2015, the scale of the disaster was unimaginable: more than 9,000 deaths, 22,000 injured, and millions displaced, forced to sleep under tents. “Grief resonated in the silence,” recalls Sunaina Panthy. Just three weeks after the earthquake, her team of seven artists decided to take action. After the initial shock and once international aid had provided the first emergency relief, their goal was to fight depression, help survivors to take care of themselves and their loved ones, and imagine a future. In collaboration with psychotherapists and supported by an Israeli funding initiative, the troupe performed among the ruins for two years. Between 2015 and 2017, they staged more than 500 performances across eight districts, spanning diverse landscapes: the vegetable fields of Makwanpur, the mountain villages of Rasuwa, the trails of Gorkha, and the public spaces of Kathmandu…

The performances depict survivors affected by tragedy, with various social and generations backgrounds, addressing gender inequalities and intimate family realities. A true cathartic theatrical experience that soothes the soul and loosens tongues. There is also talk of rebuilding homes, and thinking of rules to avoid  future disasters. In these deliberately interactive performances, costumes provide a beneficial distancing. The “emotional burden” lightens as it is shared.

In Turkey, Anıl Çalim and Burcu Yilmaz Deniz, members of the Atta Festival, leverage their experience working with neurodivergent children. Right after the 2023 earthquake, they launched the 8.Nota Project, a training program aimed at promoting inclusivity for the local workers (NGO professionals, educators, artists…). For them, inclusivity is a dynamic and evolving process, “like a door to cross.” They advocate for a holistic approach: instead of trying to include the margins into an idealized center, consider the circle as evolving and dynamic, sometimes invisible.

These are the areas of focus that ASSITEJ works on through the years and in times of turbulence. In Ukraine, the battle is ongoing in the present time: theatre is underground, sometimes practiced in bomb shelters, allowing the population to resist and to reconnect with its roots in order to affirm an identity violently questioned. Theatre as a way to connect with the world, in an attempt to navigate through devastations.