SCAPHANDRES PARTY

Scaphandres Party is an improvised interdisciplinary performance conceived and directed by Samuel Ber, bringing together music, theatre, video and lighting in a constantly evolving creative space. Seven artists share the stage, creating a performance entirely rooted in the present moment, where every interaction can transform the direction of the piece. 

At the heart of Scaphandres Party is the joy of invention. Through improvisation, bodies, sounds, images, movement, text and light collide and respond to one another, creating an imaginary landscape whose boundaries are constantly shifting. No two performances are alike: each evening, a new visual and sonic world emerges before the audience. The audience witnesses two stories unfolding simultaneously: the fictional story created by the performers and the story of its creation itself. The creative process becomes part of the performance, offering a rare opportunity to observe a collective imagination at work in real time. 

The project grew out of the contemporary jazz and improvised music trio Pentadox and expands its approach to improvisation into a multidisciplinary collective. Music, spoken word, physical performance, live video and lighting continuously influence one another, with each artist moving between foreground and background and reshaping the balance of the group. 

First developed at the Fondation Royaumont in 2018, Scaphandres Party has continued to evolve through residencies at Rataplan in Antwerp, Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles and Neimënster Abbey in Luxembourg.