Badaboum ! is what a grown-up says to a child in French to encourage them not to give up when they’ve fallen over. For 35 years, it’s also been the name of a place where people experiment with the performing arts for and by children! Located in the heart of Marseille, it’s a meeting place for several generations of children—some of whom claim to be grown-ups. Entering the Badaboum théâtre auditorium or coming to the circus school hones participants’ sensitivity and critical abilities. It’s a place to get inspiration, to feel and experience new things, to imagine, to build, to create, to meet and get to know other people, to learn trust, to share ideas… and to set yourself free, be you a teacher, an actor, a technician, an author, a child, a parent, a grandparent or a friend. It’s all about togetherness. Badaboum théâtre also raises awareness of children’s rights and cultural rights, organizing children’s assemblies reflecting a desire to include young people in the governance process. It puts kids at the centre of everything so that they can play an active role in the world around them—because that’s urgent and necessary.
When designing the Manifête with the Festival de Marseille, Julie Joaquim Figueiredo, collective intelligence facilitator, and Anne-Claude Goustiaux, artistic director of Badaboum théâtre, created "Démêlées d'idées” (“idea straighteners”). Through play and emotions, these workshops make kids aware of their rights so that they can all express themselves and make their own decisions.
