The Théâtre des Arts Vivants supported the Ivorian contemporary dance company “Les Pieds Dans La Mare,” led by Jenny Mezile, in their desire to create a performance on the theme of slavery in Côte d’Ivoire—a crucial, yet still underexplored, aspect of collective memory in the region.

To achieve this, we helped Les Pieds Dans La Mare design and prepare a traveling residency program that combined research, creation, and action, which was carried out in 2023 along the “Slave Route” in Côte d’Ivoire.

The overarching objective of this project was to highlight the memorial sites along this route, collect testimonies, and offer artistic activities for local communities. This interdisciplinary process, aimed at reviving this collective memory, resulted in a performance presented in December 2023 on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

Thanks to our involvement, the project received support from prestigious institutions such as UNESCO, the ACP-EU Culture Programme, the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery, the Goethe Institute, and the Institut Français.