Construction ou nager

Aminata asked why it’s so hard to talk about racism with white friends. Adeline asked if she wanted a well-thought-out answer or if she’d rather we figure it out together.

Aminata asked why it is so difficult to talk about racism with white friends. Adeline asked whether she wanted a structured answer or if she’d rather go for a swim. This is how Construction ou nager opens, a documentary performance about racism, its historical origins, its current structures and its dismantling. But how do we deconstruct what we are swimming in? Aminata Abdoulaye Hama invites Adeline Rosenstein to engage in a theatrical reflection on the history of the Black/white divide and on strategies for confronting racism today. On stage, five performers and writers explore the divisions and potential alliances between different movements: against anti-Black racism, Islamophobia, gender-based violence and other forms of discrimination often pitted against one another by the forces of white supremacy. Construction ou nager seeks to acknowledge certain mistrusts in order to fuel clear-sighted, action-oriented alliances.

Documentary fragments, pop songs, historical narratives, critical and therefore humorous thinking will be developed on the basis of numerous performances outside the theatre to create a simple, anti-racist, accessible form that is easy to communicate.

Coproduction Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles
Copresentation Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Season 2025·2026