Formerly the Formule 40 skippered by Yves Parlier, the renowned catamaran MangeNuage has been transformed by Anne Pribat into a floating stage dedicated to the circus arts. This nautical project, which boldly blends artistic performance and navigation, gave the trapeze artist the opportunity to realize her dream: to give her audience a sensory experience where the sea and the show become one. In this second part, Anne discusses the inspiration behind the show, and how the artistic team on board combines skills and organization to deliver an innovative experience, while conveying a strong message about coastal protection.
Your show "Ressac, Messagers du littoral" combines art and science to raise awareness of the fragility of our coasts. What inspired this hybrid approach?
It was a woman who inspired this hybrid approach: Camille Provendier. A doctoral student in mediation on ecological subjects, she imagined the positive impact of MangeNuage performing a circus show. The idea was that the show would touch the audience emotionally on an ecological subject, while the exhibitions on sails and games would approach the same subject differently. And so we went through the creative process, with its exchanges, advances and difficulties. Camille presented her thesis, and for our part, we developed the "Ressac" show and the mediation tools that offer reflections and explanations on the fragility of the littorals.
Can you tell us about your artistic team and the dynamic between the artists on board? How do these different talents work together to create an experience that is both nautical and artistic?
It's a vast subject that's still in the testing phase, especially when it comes to artists' availability, which isn't easy to manage when the summer season is open and navigation time isn't remunerated. These are two worlds that aren't necessarily linked in terms of administrative status, and the solution has yet to be found. For the time being, I'm present from A to Z at each event, and the organization depends on everyone's arrivals and departures, according to skills and schedules.
What does freedom of movement and exploration mean to you in your itinerant project?
MangeNuage is basically a dream: to create circus shows on a boat and perform them professionally around the world, more or less between the two tropics. Inspired by my childhood, my travels, the history of navigators and the richness of the land (whether in terms of natural landscapes or human cultures), this desire responds to what drives me: encounters and exchanges, the discovery of new places, new landscapes and new cultures, and the possibility of arriving in other countries with a proposal to share and a time to exchange.
For the time being, the yard has made me sedentary, and my professional destinations are in the Mediterranean, with the boat moored in the home port of Sète. In life, everything takes time, and by putting in the necessary energy, I hope we'll be able to reach more distant destinations.
How do you manage the logistical constraints of a traveling project on a boat that doubles as a stage, a means of transport and a place to live?
On the whole, I've tried to anticipate them as much as possible by putting together a calendar and a schedule for the 2024 tour. So far, we've played the dates we sold and the team is still in place. It's all been very positive. We'll have to see what the realities are later on, with more distant destinations and busier tours. I think Bots and Soizic from Honky-Tonk are the ones who could answer this question with their wealth of experience: music boat, tour of the West Indies, then England, Brittany and the Azores, all with 4, 5 or 6 crew members and concert proposals sometimes accompanied by shows...
Do you have any ideas for future developments or innovations on the "Mange Nuage", either technical or artistic?
On the whole, MangeNuage meets the needs of the project. After that, of course, there's always room for improvement: recently, we tried out a spinnaker to improve navigation. I've also spent my spare time installing mosquito nets and curtains for the hull cabins, and I'm planning to take my boat out again this winter. The to-do list is very much like a boatyard list, i.e.: endless; with maintenance, improvements, and the doable knowing that days are always "only" 24 hours long...
As far as creation is concerned, we're still improving "Ressac". With the dates coming up in October, we're continuing to develop the writing. As for the "Dérives" show, the music is not yet complete. There's a recording to be done this winter, so we'll have to find the funds... After that, of course, there'd be the paradise that would meet all our needs, but that doesn't exist, so I'm doing the best I can.
