Gongle — À propos — Slash Paris

Since 2006, the collective of artists, athletes, and researchers GONGLE has developed creations for public space rooted in popular culture, with the ambition of making theatre a site of confrontation and dialogue around the activities, productions, and aspirations of the diverse actors shaping our societies.

Their documentary performances begin with field investigations and are built through the montage of interviews, research materials, and music. In recent years, the collective has explored the theme of sport, creating works designed for football pitches (Le champ des tribuns — 2016, with NTDM — CDN Montreuil), pétanque courts (La cosmologie du cochonnet — 2020, with Lieux Publics — CNAREP Marseille), street workout parks (2// (DEUX BARRES) — 2023, with Le Parapluie — CNAREP Aurillac), swimming pools (En nage ! — Seine-Saint-Denis 1% artistic commission), and gaming venues (URBEX EN MULTIPLEX — 2021, revived in 2024 with TJP — CDN Strasbourg).

GONGLE’s activity is also structured around periods of “research-creation.” Since 2020, and in the context of the Cultural Olympiad, members of the collective have been commissioned by the Seine-Saint-Denis department to lead an art-and-sport network, while collaborating with several scientific laboratories (Sciences Po Paris Médialab; UFR STAPS at Université Paris Cité; CNRS). Some of these projects, conducted with the cultural cooperative CUESTA, are part of the “cultural urbanism” movement. They combine art, sport, and civic participation to inform public policy (Le terrain le joueur et le consultant — 2018; Tous terrains — 2022; Plateau Photo — 2021, among others).

Since its founding, GONGLE has collaborated with numerous cultural institutions at the local level — including Théâtre Berthelot (Seine-Saint-Denis), CENTQUATRE-PARIS, Le Carreau du Temple, ART’R, Printemps des rues, and Été 20; nationally — NTDM — CDN Montreuil, TJP — CDN Strasbourg, Lieux Publics — CNAREP Marseille, and Le Parapluie — CNAREP Aurillac; and internationally — Institut Français d’Istanbul and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien in Berlin.