This text is part of the special section Culture Montérégie
After realizing that there was a “great need to bring quality theater to schools”, Joanie Papillon founded, in 2018, the youth theater company Meute Monde, located in Montérégie. Five years after its creation, his company continues to democratize the sixth art for young audiences, while raising awareness of environmental challenges through shows that combine music, dance, theater and puppets.
Since its inception, Meute Monde has mainly traveled to schools and daycare centers in the Montérégie region to present shows and organize interactive workshops for children. “The idea was to bring theater to all children in a democratic environment by offering them free works for them. In addition, there was the idea of designing the scenography of the shows with recycled materials to encourage families and children to consume less and invite them to do crafts with obsolete objects,” explains Joanie Papillon, founder and artistic director. of Pack World.
According to Mme Papillon, the democratization of theater also requires the involvement of young people in the creative process. “When we put on shows, the performers come into the room and invite the children to come on stage. After the show, they are also allowed to touch the puppets. In our workshops in schools, children make their own puppet and learn how to manipulate it,” she explains. “It’s very democratic for an artist, too. It’s very beautiful, for me and for my first professional experiences, to create a show that you can bring into a car. You make the show with your means. It carries the mission of Meute Monde well,” adds Virginie Daigle, performer for the youth theater company.
A “community” experience
When puppets are incorporated into shows, the imagination of young people and parents is certainly stimulated, according to Joanie Papillon and Virginie Daigle. “What is the fun with the puppet, is that it is a discipline that relies on the imagination of the public. There’s a kind of suggestiveness since it’s often silent. The young person must also become creatively and emotionally involved in the story, because they are invited to complete the story themselves,” emphasizes Ms.me Butterfly. “Whether we associate dramaturgy with the world of childhood or not, in my opinion, good dramatic material can be enjoyed by anyone,” believes Ms.me Daigle.
For the artistic director of Meute Monde, the Montérégie is a lively place for youth theatre. “There are a lot of young families here, and it’s still an accessible region. Our neighbors really understand our mission. There’s a big puppet community in Montreal, but not everyone wants to drive 40 minutes, so decentralization helps with access to theatre,” she thinks.
In December 2022, Meute Monde obtained $12,000 for the revival of the show christmas together, as part of the Montérégie-Ouest Territorial Partnership Program. “We also generate revenue from our activities. Last year, we were financed by Desjardins Assurances, which made it possible to produce the show Stack Up, at the Gesu. Then, this year, we had our first fundraising campaign,” says Joanie Papillon.
Next year, “if all goes well”, the youth theater company will undertake a “colossal” project in partnership with seven companies located in the United States, Brazil and Canada, says the artistic director. ” [Avec Spooky], we are going to address the same audience and teenagers. We will be interested in cultural heritage and how we meet, ”she specifies. “We also want to create a dramaturgy with movements and visuals. It’s also about fear, security, comfort and discomfort. It will be a great challenge to generate intercultural conversations through the show,” says Virginie Daigle.
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