Karine Gaulin, a self-described “woman-mother-artist,” embodies a spirit of profound exploration and creative expression. She and her cherished friend and creative partner Édith Beauséjour form the Québec-based company Les Chemins errants, who will bring their all-ages show Echoing Crest, co-created with Théâtre Motus, to Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre Extra Space as part of the 2023 WeeFestival of Arts & Culture for Early Years.
Gaulin’s intentional decision to address young audiences through her work stems from her drive to establish genuine connections. “To create for the little ones is to be in relation,” she explains. “It forces us to be very sensitive to sensations, to the body, to emotion. It requires a quality of presence at all times.That’s what drives me: to be permeable to the total quivering of these little humans. And creating for young audiences offers immense freedom in artistic terms!”
Her artistic endeavors are not only a personal odyssey: they are also a captivating story of travel, friendship, research, questioning, and discovery. The genesis of Echoing Crest (L’Écho de l’écume in French) can be traced back to a recent summer that she recalls vividly: “The idea of Écho de l’écume sprang up like a geyser, while we were spending the summer in the Magdalen Islands, inventing driftwood boats with our children”. That simple, powerful idea evolved into a grand project brimming with multiple dimensions and geometries. And over the course of three years, Gaulin and Beauséjour immersed themselves in the realm of insularity and immensity, delving into the sung heritage preserved in the memories of musicians from St-Pierre et Miquelon, a French archipelago near Newfoundland.
Collaborating with esteemed choreographer Emmanuelle Calvé, Gaulin and Beauséjour also explored movement, embracing the winds that caressed the cliffs and the ever-changing waves of the sea. And to expand their creative horizons, they invited hundreds of children from various regions to participate in their artistic endeavors. Together, they embarked on an exhilarating journey of colors, textures, abstraction, and poetic expression, of which a smiling Gaulin proclaims, “This great laboratory was a real delight!”
L’Écho de l’écume (Echoing Crest) embraces the audacious challenge of bringing visual arts to the stage, resulting in a mesmerizing fusion of creativity. Gaulin and Beauséjour immerse their hands in pots of glowing blues and turquoises, and paint with their bodies and with navigational tools. The grand frescoes they create evoke the essence of the sea—its majestic movement, rhythmic breath, turbulent storms, and soothing lulls. Gaulin passionately elaborates, “It is a show to be received with all the senses. The voices vibrate, the bodies are rocked by the surf. The show is also a small praise to JOY! Yes, yes, joy! This elusive feeling that makes the heart quiver – that unties the body, that surprises and bewitches.”
While Echoing Crest celebrates a universally joyous spirit, it also pays specific tribute to the multi-faceted nature of women by delving into their inner landscapes. Gaulin draws a parallel with a sea voyage. Just as it oscillates between gentleness and tumult, so, too, is the production a vessel to celebrate the enduring essence of childhood, which resides within all of us. But is L’Écho de l’écume (Echoing Crest) a show for children? “I would answer YES, of course,” Gaulin enthuses, “but… it is also a proposal for adults! When we create for the little ones, we know that there will be as many (if not more) adults as children in the theatre. So there are invisible layers of meaning and emotion in the show that allow us, I hope, to touch the hearts and souls of ALL the audience”.
In a world where art breathes life into communities and reaffirms the value of human connections, Gaulin and Beauséjour’s work shines brightly. The dynamic and multidimensional artistic journey of Echoing Crest combines visual arts, performance and joyful play; and invites young audiences and adults to embrace a vibrant and immersive experience. Celebrating the everlasting and multi-sensory spirit of joy and childhood, Echoing Crest seems destined to captivate the hearts and stir the imaginations of WeeFestival audiences.
Public performances of Echoing Crest are on Sat May 27 and Sun May 28 at 11:00am. Reserve tickets on weefestival.ca. Find the complete WeeFestival schedule here.
© Arpita Ghosal SesayArts Magazine, 2023
