theater & reconciliation

History and Philosophy of Théâtre & Réconciliation

Théâtre & Réconciliation is a Belgian company founded by director Frédérique Lecomte.

From the outset, the company set itself the mission of sustaining a distinctive theatrical practice: a citizens’ theatre, conceived as a space for encounter, dialogue and transformation.

The work of Théâtre & Réconciliation is based on an original method developed by Frédérique Lecomte since 1994. It starts from the lived experience of the people and communities she works with: citizens and actors, including marginalised or vulnerable groups such as prisoners, former child soldiers, undocumented people, people living with addiction, young people who have dropped out of school, asylum seekers, patients in therapeutic settings, and survivors of war or torture.

For more than 30 years, the company has worked in Central Africa (Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo) and in Belgium. Its work addresses essential themes such as conflict resolution, memory, living together, radicalisation, gender and freedom of expression.

Drawing on these life experiences, Frédérique Lecomte and her team create performances that they orchestrate live in front of the audience.

In 2014, this distinctive method was recognised with the Hainaut Performing Arts Prize. In 2018, Frédérique Lecomte was named a “Woman of Peace” at the Belgian Senate for her commitment in the Great Lakes region.

By subverting the norms of reality, Théâtre & Réconciliation strips away the veneer of power relations and hierarchies and opens up a space of freedom and transformation. It plays freely with every genre: opera, cabaret, circus and autofiction.

The characters on stage are, above all, human beings. At the heart of this approach lies a model of society in which everyone has a place, a voice and dignity, and in which theatre becomes a true space of freedom and transformation.

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THE MISSIONS
of Théâtre & Réconciliation:​

• Transforming conflicts

• Addressing trauma

• Strengthening social cohesion

• Raising awareness of key issues

• Promoting human and cultural rights

• Building self-esteem

• Facilitating restorative or transformative justice