Oxmo Puccino's signed song concert at the Philharmonie de Paris ©Joachim-Bertrand

Long confined to accessibility, inclusive mediation for people with disabilities has changed its status in live performance. Relaxed screenings or audio-described sessions, adapted surtitles for the hearing impaired or deaf, sign language, vibrating vests, prompters: these devices are certainly multiplying in theaters and cultural institutions. But beyond simply providing support, they are becoming catalysts for social interaction, and even better, fertile ground for inventiveness. At halftime of the last Super Bowl in February, didn't we see the Puerto Rican sign language interpreter (almost) steal the show from Bad Bunny, transforming the translation into a performance?

Two decades after the passing of the law on equal rights and opportunities for disabled people, accessibility is perceived differently, as confirmed by the president of the Culture Relax association. In twenty years the public's perspective has completely changedshe explains. Imagine that back then, parents with children with disabilities practically apologized when they entered a movie theater. Today, it's become a pleasure. The artists themselves tell us this: the experience of live performance extends into the audience thanks to unexpected reactions that nonetheless have meaning within the performance. We've moved from an attitude of acceptance to the simple joy of being together. "For artists like the rapper Oxmo Puccino, living together in a concert hall is a given.

Oxmo Puccino's signed song concert at the Philharmonie de Paris
©Maxime Guthfreund

In 2024, the musician took over the Pierre Boulez Hall at the Philharmonie de Paris with a concert entirely interpreted in sign language by the Collectif Integraal. At the side of the stage, three interpreters took turns translating the twenty or so pieces into sign language, literally making the music visible. For the deaf and hard-of-hearing audience: understanding the lyrics, but also tapping out the rhythms, singing along to the choruses... and experiencing a collective moment... even capturing the attention of the artist himself. The authors of signed songs transform the translation of the texts into a choreography. During the concert, I sometimes found myself captivated by the gestures of the “reinterprets”, Oxmo Puccino recalls.

Oxmo Puccino ©Tibaut_Chouara

From a tool for accessibility, mediation becomes an artistic language in its own right. For the musician, everything converges towards the same sensory experience, regardless of the mode of perception. Sound is a vibration, words resonate. Gestures create waves. The harmony connecting all these phenomena flows through bodies throughout the room. "He continues. A circulation of emotions that abolishes boundaries and redefines the stage as a shared and expanded space. In this logic, mediation is no longer peripheral, but fully integrated into the artistic act." My work is based on emotion, and to achieve this, all tools are used in the search for the right interpretation: there is comedy, poetry wrapped in music. From six to 82 years old, everyone should be touched. And to conclude: Sharing becomes circular, joy is contagious. »

Marie Poulanges and the Orchester de Paris ©Mathias_Benguigui

A different rhythm, the same feeling. In the classical repertoire, inclusive mediations are also shifting the boundaries. Marie Poulanges, a violist with the Orchestre de Paris, speaks of a " pivotal moment "During a Relax concert at the Philharmonie de Paris, a genuine connection was forged between the audience and the musicians." We became aware of the audience we were facing. That evening, a young man started laughing very loudly. In a traditional venue, the audience would have... "Shh"But then we understood her emotion, and that filled us all with joy. ».

Marie Poulanges ©Studio-Cabrelli

Facing deaf children equipped with vibrating vests, the musician discovers a form of listening through the body: As soon as the orchestra played loudly, they felt the vibrations. At one point, they clung to each other to amplify them. It was very beautiful. "Like with Oxmo Puccino, the sound overflows: it becomes almost visible. And the musician concludes: Every concert that involves audience interaction gives me a sense of freedom. It reflects the love of the audience back to me. Without an audience, there is no concert. "Here again, mediation is no longer content with simply accompanying. It reactivates the living dimension of the performance."

Jonathan Neyja in "The Lion King" ©Alessandro Pinna

Even in big-budget productions, the bonus is there. In " The Lion King ", performed at the Théâtre Mogador, where he plays Mufasa, Jonathan Neyja sees the direct impact of inclusive measures, such as the Relax sessions, on the audience: The show is adapted, the sound is less loud… all of this changes the way we experience it. "Far from diminishing the experience, these adjustments transform it. Faced with a more expressive audience, reactions become an integral part of the game." As soon as he senses something, he lets us know. People have already called out to me, signaled me to look., he says. "It's unusual, but it makes the show even more lively." This is further proof that inclusivity does not hinder the scene, but rather reactivates it, to the point of becoming the very substance of creation.

Catherine Schaub

"The Village of the Deaf" by Léonore Confino

In " The Village of the Deaf » by Léonore Confino, directed for the stage by Catherine Schaub (Available to watch again on France TV until May 30th), actor Jérôme Kircher engages in dialogue with deaf actress Ariana-Suelen Rivoire while translating her sign language for the audience. Here, mediation no longer accompanies, it structures the narrative. Theatre is first and foremost an art of the body, even before it is an art of the text. "The director points out. At certain moments, the actress signs alone, without translation." For several minutes, the hearing audience is plunged into silence, hanging on to gestures they do not understand. " she recounts. Another way of listening is then invented, in reverse: the hearing people in turn experience the absence. Attention shifts. And, by blurring the lines, a new dimension of the performance emerges.

What if this shift is only just beginning? As they gain ground on stage, but also on our screens, through a new generation of TV series (" Code of Silence "," Shame By incorporating entire scenes in sign language into their scripts, accessibility is redefining the contours of live performance. It is no longer a constraint, but a creative lever, opening up new territories. The show is no longer simply adapting to everyone; it is reinventing itself with them.

What is a Relaxation session?

Led by the Culture Relax association, the Relax program offers screenings with relaxed rules in nearly 130 partner venues (cinemas, theaters, opera houses). The goal: to allow everyone to experience their emotions without constraints or judgment. Applauding, vocalizing, entering and leaving freely without risking a disapproving look, or a " chut Primarily intended for people whose disabilities may lead to atypical behaviors (autism, multiple disabilities, neurodegenerative diseases), these sessions also appeal to many families looking for a more relaxed setting. For the season, nearly 150 shows are certified, with assistance available for booking.

Coming soon, for example:

April 12, "Entre Parenthèses" by Pauline Bureau, Théâtre de la Colline

May 19, "Renoir and Music", Paris Chamber Orchestra, Musée d'Orsay

June 14, "The Four Seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

June 28, "La Vie parisienne" by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre du Châtelet
Full program here