We took part in the Festival du Théâtre Social, organized through a collaboration between IRFASE (Institut de Recherche et de Formation) and the Scène Nationale de l’Essonne in Évry, in the Paris suburbs an initiative aimed at bridging culture, social work, and judicial institutions.
We were especially pleased by the diversity of participants, ranging from social science professionals to members of local community organizations. This variety brought a richness to the exchanges and to the way the experience was received and interpreted.
The process unfolded very smoothly, thanks in large part to the care and dedication of the theater professionals involved. Together, we set up a double body-swap experience directly on stage and trained assistants in less than a day. This allowed us to welcome multiple groups with close attention, while minimizing waiting times. It was particularly rewarding to see how the assistants quickly appropriated the experience, developing their own facilitation styles to ensure a fluid and engaging process for participants.
Looking ahead, we aim to further increase the flexibility of our setups, both technically, by working with lighter and more adaptable configurations, and socially, by refining how we onboard participants who may feel vulnerable when faced with such a destabilizing experience. Despite these human and logistical challenges, the overall experience was highly successful, and we look forward to building on it in future contexts.
