An intimate documentary theatre workshop designed for two individuals meeting for the first time within a shared creative space. Two participants, Emma and Lucile, were invited into a delicate exchange of mutual recognition — through conversations shaped around the theme of heritage and one central question: What do you carry from those who came before you?

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It was about the things that live in our voices and bodies without asking permission. What do we inherit, and how does that shape who we believe we’re allowed to become?

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Emma and Lucile interviewed each other. They listened. They trusted. They gave each other a gift — a personal story — and attempted to tell it back, transformed into a monologue. Not as imitation, but as a kind of offering. A delicate act of becoming, just for a little while.

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It was an experiment in trust and representation, in vulnerability and ethical closeness. Two people — complete strangers — shared their most personal narratives and allowed them to be carried by someone else.

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With shaky hands and open hearts, they tried to tell that story as if it had always belonged to them. It was like being inhabited. Like saying, Here, wear my skin for a moment. See what it feels like.
What does it mean to hold another person’s story as if it were your own? What happens when someone else carries yours — and doesn’t break it?

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The workshop was created for the 15th Festival des Arts Mutants in Strasbourg (FR), whose theme was “Amalgamate.”

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Lucile:

„The workshop with Paweł means time spent finding a delicate balance between reflection, discussion, research on stage, and ultimately, (re)creation. I arrived full of questions, and I left with only one — an essential one: How to make it happen? How do we reach that suspended space where we can create from raw, scratchy reality, alongside people we didn’t even know a few hours earlier? Within the structure created by Paweł, documentary theatre begins to emerge — where obstacles become precious opportunities.”

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Emma:

„The workshop on documentary theatre opened my mind and helped me think outside the box. The exercises, designed to create strong connections between people who didn’t know each other, were an excellent way to build trust. Then we opened up to each other, and it became easier to share a part of myself. Once the story had been given, the process of distancing myself from the actor telling my story, step by step, was a very interesting one. Is it still my story? In a way, certainly. Being the actor-storyteller was really challenging. How could I completely transcribe what I had heard during the interview? Paweł took the time to explain the method and guided us through the entire process, providing specifications and support. He also gave us some freedom to experiment on our own.”