Les Thermes
A large wooden pool with 25,000 plastic balls invites you to take a moral bath in Stoic philosophy. The audience is immersed in a hamam of reflection, a bath made of fragments of the Stoics' works. Here you can either enjoy a free bath, talk with other visitors or simply let yourself be inspired in silence by the aphorisms that are currently equally trendy and controversial. Or you can come to one of the interventions, where various guest speakers will apply the Stoic principles to the themes of the festival and provide further food for thought and discussion.
Don't worry, you can leave your swimming trunks at home. You will stay dressed to visit the pool.
France Distraction is a collective of visual artists and performers from Lille and Brussels. In their social installations, they approach artistic practice with a large portion of mischievousness.
The presentation of «Les Thermes» was made possible by the members of the auawirleben association.
Free bath
MON 10.5.–SUN 21.5. | from the opening of the Festival Centre till 00:00
Activations
THUR 11.5. | 18:30–19:00 | Intervention by Halory Goerger, France Distraction
FRI 12.5. | 00:00–03:30 | Midnight bathing with sound by Tyra Wigg
SUN 14.5. | 17:00–17:30 | Intervention by Andrea Staudacher, FutureDeathLab, Farewell Spaces
TUE 16.5. | 18.00–18:30 | Intervention by Celin Sithy Fässler, back to the roots
THUR 18.5. | 17:00–17:30 | Intervention by Pierfrancesco Basile, private lecturer of philosophy , University of Bern
SUN 21.5. | 17:00–17:30 | Intervention by Sascha Rijkeboer
Information
Entry and exit can be difficult for people with mobility impairments. If you need assistance getting in or out of the pool, please contact the pool guides on site.
Translation into sign language
The intervention on 18.5. of Pierfrancesco Basile will be translated from spoken German into Swiss German Sign Language (DSGS). Interpreter: Käthi Schlegel
For people with vision disabilities
The Festival Centre is equipped with tactile ground surface indicators. If you need assistance getting in or out of the pool, please contact the pool guides on site.
The written French text is available in oral translation in German and English.
Relaxed Performance
The installation takes place in a relaxed setting. The audience is not expected to sit completely still. The audience is allowed to come and go as they please during free bathing. There are no loud noises.
There is a relaxed area in the Festival Centre where you can retreat at any time. This is accessible as soon as the Festival Centre is open. The relaxed area is signalled and is in a separate space. It contains a sofa, a few beanbags, dimmed lights and sensory tools.
Surtitles
The written French text is available in oral and written translation in German and English.
Social Story
Social Stories are used as a tool to prepare people for public events such as theatre performances. In our Social Stories you will find a description for each performance, what situation to expect at the venue and what customs apply there. You can find the PDF for the Social Story (in German) of «Les Thermes» here.
Free Entry
- Concept
- Belinda Annaloro, Antoine Defoort, Julien Fournet, Halory Goerger, Sébastien Vial
- Direction
- Emilie Godreuil, Halory Goerger and local guests
- Technical Device
- Emilie Godreuil
Production: L’Amicale
Coproduction: Le CENTQUATRE, Le VIVAT, Beursschouwburg, Kunstencentrum BUDA, Réseau APAP, Le Musée de la Danse – Centre Chorégraphique National de Rennes et de Bretagne, L’Entorse
In collaboration with: La Malterie