Writing, Advocating, Storytelling

This research project will take the form of a two-part documentary study, based in the Somme region. 

On the one hand, a study of the “cahiers de doléances” (books of grievances): first those from 1789, then those established 230 years later, in early 2019, in response to the Yellow Vests movement. Only eight departments have made their grievances public; among them is the Somme. What collective history is being written and told through these pages? What role do these writings play today if they are rendered inaccessible? What does this say about the invisibilization and the   muting   citizens?

In parallel with this first focus area, a documentary art project will be carried out in the field, in collaboration with organizations and institutions working to promote access to written expression for everyone—whether through public writers or through efforts to prevent and combat illiteracy. 

Through practice and research, we will reflect on the role of writing in our daily lives, that is to say  everyday writing  : 

“These writings—whether associated with intense collective or personal moments or with the routine of daily activities—seem to serve a single purpose […]: to leave a trace”

Daniel Fabre,  ordinary Scriptures , 1993

Language is a space where domination and struggles play out; emancipating oneself through written expression can help break free from them. Being able to tell the story of one’s life and describe one’s material living conditions means being able to then voice grievances, participate in, and contribute to a shared narrative: to leave a mark.