Conference

For the past 3 years, the European Common Stories project has been involved in an exploration of the question of “the other”, and in promoting the voices of those who all too often remain unseen on our stages. This has enabled some remarkable artistic practices and theatrical expressions to emerge. Working groups in the various countries have been able to stage brand new repertoires, while exploring developments in society through the medium of the performing arts.

As a space for reflection and dialogue, this conference brings together not only the partners and actors in the project, but also researchers, activists, artists and more… for two days of discussions and round table events. This period of taking stock underlines the need to diversify the imaginary, in constructing tomorrow’s stories. There are so many dynamic creativities and new avenues to explore in the future for European theatre.

Thursday, 11 December

Workshops
Institutional Diversity: findings and lived realities
In English

As part of the Good Practices Factory, meetings with representatives from the audience-relations teams of institutions participating in the European project Common Stories. A contextualisation of questions around diversity within institutions. Conversations and exchanges of practices with participants.
Conclusion by Dr. Sarah Youssef, Artistic Director of Orangerie Theater – Cologne

Performance
Anatomie de la Riposte de Laurence Rosier
In French, surtitling in English

Through a lively and biting performance, Laurence Rosier—linguist, professor at ULB, and passionate author—explores the multiple ways of responding: to an insult, a sexist, racist or homophobic attack, an injustice, or an abuse of power. She brings forth the voices of those who know how to say no, stand up, and speak out.

Friday, 12 December

Roundtables
Youness Anzane, Peggy Pierrot, Sarah Youssef 

Discussions between Common Stories artists and Brussels-based artists and activists on the themes Family & utopia, Memory & mourning, and Gender, body & resistance.
Followed by a feedback session with the project partners to share conclusions and perspectives resulting from the exchanges.

Closing Conference
Common Stories: Decentering the Stage
Mame-Fatou Niang, Hortense Archambault, Pankaj Tiwari, Emmanuel Ndefo & Safia Kessas
In English and in French, simultaneous interpretation 

This conference marks both an end and a beginning: a moment to reflect on what we have learned while opening new paths forward.

 

Common Stories

Common Stories seeks to explore questions related to the transformations of European society within the performing arts sector. How can diversity be better welcomed in institutions, on stage, and within teams and audiences? How can we inhabit or testify daily to these spaces of richness and possibility—but also of tension? What strategies are developed? What knowledge and experiences are acquired and shared? 

Over the past 30 years, European society has undergone profound demographic changes that have reshaped political debate. As factories of imagination and storytelling, performing arts institutions and festivals must reflect and promote this growing diversity and bear witness to the richness and complexity of our society. Yet, much remains to be done. This is why the Théâtre National has committed to Common Stories, a Creative Europe programme implemented by MC93 in Bobigny. 

Common Stories is led by the Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis, MC93 (Bobigny, France), in partnership with the Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels, Belgium), Alkantara (Lisbon, Portugal), Culturgest (Lisbon, Portugal), africologneFESTIVAL (Cologne, Germany), Riksteatern (Stockholm, Sweden), in association with TR Warszawa (Warsaw, Poland), and in 2025 with Orient Productions (Cairo, Egypt) and Les Récréâtrales (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso).

 www.commonstories.eu