Scintilla

Raising public awareness of human rights while introducing audiences to contemporary circus arts is the ambition behind the creation of Scintilla.

Scintilla was born out of a need to take action. A need to combine art and commitment, an irrepressible desire to play an active role in counterbalancing the increasingly alarming news stories about human rights violations.

“Scintilla” comes from Latin and means “spark.” It echoes Amnesty International’s motto, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness,” and reflects the desire to bring something positive to the community, especially young people, on a smaller scale.

This original production brings together six artists on stage with an international cast. With their acrobatic skills (Cyr wheel, tightrope, Chinese pole, rope, unicycle, Icarian games, and contemporary dance), the six artists offer a unique perspective on human rights violations and express the need to uphold the ideal of respect for these rights.

In a sober scenographic aesthetic consisting of worn sheet metal walls, the artists interpret different visions and angles of the same subject.

They play with the fragile, the different. A moving wall, a small opening, journeys, a new visitor…

“The images are striking, obvious, logical. This socially conscious show is a glimmer of hope. The circus arts give a whole new dimension to the values of justice and fairness, making them poetic, magnificent, and symbolic.”
Le Nouvelliste, October 25, 2016

Show duration: +/- 80 minutes without intermission

Note on intent

“Different opinions, different visions, different angles to see one same subject. Our starting point in this creation was to reunite all those inspirations, which came from human beings with different knowledge and perception. The six extremely talented artists on the stage, diving in the language of movement, our common language. Is together with them that we dive in this creation of a show extremely human, poetic and daring. As directors, but also clowns and actors, we are attracted to the different, the fragile. A wall that moves, a small opening, travels, a new visitor. What inspire this creation, what touches our human hearts, in different ways and scales. Sweet, violent, confusing, passionate, funny, exciting. Scintilla is a show as simple and as complex as to be a human in this world.”

Helena Bittencourt and Goos Meeuwsen

Distribution

Co-production: Théâtre Interface and Compagnie Cirqu’en Choc

Direction: Goos Meeuwsen (Netherlands) and Helena Bittencourt (Brazil), both featured in the show Bianco su bianco by Cie Finzi Pasca, based in Ticino

Original music: Thierry Epiney

Costumes: Kim Salah

Choreography: Fernando Carrillo

Set design: Yohan Ruchet

Lighting design: Julien Brun

Performers: Christine Daigle, Monica Milanese, Estelle Borel, Mathias Reymond, Joachim Ciocca, Raphaël Perrenoud (alternates: Cyril Combes et Maxime Pythoud)