Residency for writing, formal research, and composition.
À force de douceur is a project led by Christophe Modica (composition and sound design), Stéphanie Lemonnier (poetry, performance, staging), and Élisa Desbrosses (mediation and artivism), who have come together within the Comptoir des silences and the Lr-Lanterne Rouge company.
This new residency at GMEM is part of a writing, formal research, and composition project focusing on stage formats where sound interacts with other artistic languages.
Since spring 2024, the team has been exploring different territories, bringing together "assemblies of futurists" and inviting residents to collectively imagine desirable futures. This approach aims to free imaginations from the constraints of conventional frameworks, drawing on deeply political and sensitive poetry.
Throughout these encounters, the trio develops co-writings combining narration, poetry, musical composition, world sounds, and sound writing. Each stage of research gives rise to a unique performance that is poetic, sonic, musical, and conversational, designed to resonate with the territories traversed.
Support
Drac PACA; City of Marseille; Théâtre du Briançonnais - Scène Conventionnée d'Intérêt National (Briançon, 05); Bienvenue là-haut (05); Art et Culture - La Chouette (04); Animakt (91); École des Vivants (Sisteron, 04); Radio Grenouille (Marseille, 13); Festival Oh Ma Parole (Marseille, 13); Aix-Marseille University, Hors-lit (Marseille); Mairie 6&8 (Marseille, 13); GMEM (Marseille, 13); Portail Coucou (Salon de Provence, 13); La Cloche, Festival C’est pas du Luxe (Avignon, 84); Théâtre des Marronniers (Lyon, 69)
Christophe Modica
Composer and sound designer
His work straddles the porous boundaries between genres and arts. He composes extensively for live performances. He has won a Phonurgia Nova award, collaborates with numerous companies, and lectures at FAI-AR on the subject of sound dramaturgy. He is the creator of Comptoir des silences.
Stéphanie Lemonnier
Poet, performer, director
Stéphanie Lemonnier conducts research into physical theater and theatrical anthropology, notably with the Lr-Lanterne Rouge theater company.
She reflects on the link between altered states of consciousness, the work of the performer, and fictional narratives of the self. She went to sleep in the depths of the Amazon rainforest and then in the mangroves of Gabon, and participated in the rites of passage of the Shuar, Quechua, and Fang peoples. The initiatory tale Dans mon ventre il y a une forêt (In My Belly There Is a Forest) isher first published text following these experiences. She was awarded the Écrire pour la rue 2022 writing grant for her second text , SHIFT, published at the end of 2024. SHIFT is a poetic performance written from more than 400 dreams collected around the world and adapted in situ for non-dedicated spaces and landscapes. It is a journey through our multiple selves, both human and non-human.
Elisa Desbrosses
Production Manager
A committed coordinator, she develops artistic projects at the crossroads of creation and social action. As production manager for the Lanterne Rouge company and project coordinator for the City of Marseille — Rencontres de l'éducation populaire, she creates spaces for encounter and emancipation. A trained VHSS advisor, she works to promote more inclusive cultural and educational environments.
Christophe Modica
, composer, sound designer
Stéphanie Lemonnier
poet, performer, director
Élisa Desbrosses
mediation, artivism