Noémie Videaud-Maillette on documentary theatre as a means of raising (environmental) awareness
Theater is more than just a backdrop and dialogue. It can spark debates, move people, and trigger change. Noémie Videaud-Maillette, theater artist, researcher, and doctoral student at the Université du Québec à Montréal, is convinced: "We need to talk about the environment, not as a warning sermon, but as a story we all live." Her tool: documentary theater.
Theatre as an approach to sustainability
Québec has already demonstrated that theater can bring people together and generate more buzz than social media. Hydro Québec, one of the world's largest hydrogen producers, has developed the documentary theater project "J'aime Hydro" in cooperation with Canadian playwright Christine Beaulieu.
It drew people to the theater who weren't usually theatergoers, and the play became a book. What was the reason for its success?
Dramaturg Bealieu emphasized the importance of allowing the audience to see a protagonist who asks the same questions and experiences the same emotional worlds. This made the subject matter accessible rather than dry. "Theater creates empathy and momentum," explains Videaud-Maillette. "It's not abstract, not on a phone, but directly with us and in the same space."
Sustainable fashion on stage
Not only energy, but also fashion is a topic in Noémie's work. The clothing industry is one of the biggest environmental polluters of our time. But how do you get people to question their own consumer behavior?
Videaud-Maillette focuses on personal connection: "We all have favorite pieces of clothing that tell stories. So why not talk about fashion by bringing our own relationship with clothing to the stage?"
Her theater projects aim to do just that: encourage people to think about their wardrobe. "When we talk about how our clothing and identity are connected, we learn to appreciate them—and with them, the possibility of changing our behavior."
New laws encourage against more transparency and less greenwashing
Greenwashing plays a major role in the fashion and consumer world. Companies adorn themselves with sustainability labels that are often nothing more than nice words. This is now set to end: The EU has introduced new rules at the beginning of 2024 to protect consumers from misleading environmental claims ( consilium.europa.eu ).
"This is a step in the right direction," says Videaud-Maillette. "But the underlying question remains: How can we reach consumers? How can we communicate sustainability in a way that generates genuine interest?"
Theater as an experimental space
The next steps in Noémie's work will lead her into further dialogue with various stakeholders. In interactive theater formats, viewers should not just be consumers, but co-creators. "I want to create workshops where people can identify with the topic. Where they are not just spectators, but part of the process. Sustainability is not a theory – it must be experienced."
Noémie Videaud-Maillette creates encounters through empathy and identification. The key to ourselves as a door to change.
Noémie welcomes participants from all over the world – feel free to contact her on LinkedIn if you would like to get involved!
The original interview (French) can be found on Spotify and Podbean: