They function on the same bases as the Meetings of Bussang, whose European dimension and rule of the game are preserved, but with a reduced number of groups, who had already been in Bussang, and over a longer period of time.

From the Franco-German meetings in Bouxwiller to those in Trielle, the territory, its history and its implications constitute the centre of work.

itinerant meetings

The Comprehensive Meetings accommodate more restricted groups than those present in Bussang. They are centred primarily on intercultural exchange and bring together young people belonging to the same framework, either amateurs, or pupils, or young people from sensitive districts, etc...

They take the theatre as central axis but exceed the framework of dramatic works and are authorised to build projects centred both on dramatic and literary texts and on topics rooted in the reality of memory and life of the areas and the cities of the participating groups (oral tradition, music, language, nature, environment, landscape, history). Young people tell about their country, their territory, their culture, starting from dramatic expression.

Comprehensive meeting in Trielle.
Photo Theatre for Youth in Europe

two examples

The Franco-German training course for young people practising theatre in city suburbs or sensitive habitat areas proceeded with the "Theâtre du Marché aux Grains" from Bouxwiller (the Low-Rhine). As for the European Meetings in Bussang, in 1997 the programme alternated presentations of work, forums and common practice workshops. Unlike Bussang, free choice was given to each group regarding the topic and the form of work presented.

The training course on "sensitive zones" gathered four groups of young people coming from Meaux (Ile de France), Epinal (Lorraine), Mulhouse (Alsace) and Frankfort-on-Oder (Germany), social animators, voluntary animators from associations, teachers, professionals in prevention and social action, and artists intervening in sensitive zones. There were 64 participants.

The Comprehensive Meetings in Trielle (Auvergne) were held between March 16-23, 1998. The association of Theatre for Youth in Europe takes this action within the framework of a convention with the centre of Trielle. The meeting is conceived in a spirit of detailing theatrical practices, for young people having taken part in the meetings in Bussang. The principle is the same, but the groups are fewer, and time is longer. "Work presented" stresses the identity of each group, and the "transversal workshop" is based on the topic of the environment, thus intersecting the cultural route of "Parks and Gardens", to which the animation Centre in Trielle belongs. This training course brought together 66 participants from Greece (Lavrio: 14 young people), Italy (Este: 10 young people) and France (Remiremont: 9 - Epinal: 7 - Bouxwiller: 6 - Aurillac: 20).

The overall unfolding transfers the model of Bussang: presentation of work, transversal workshops, agoras, to which contact with the host country is added, Auvergne, Cantal, the mountain. The directing topic is different: whereas in Bussang "young people speak to young people through theatre", here young people "speak about their country, their territory, their culture starting from dramatic expression". Consequently, the presentation of work is centred on the identity of the country of origin; it does not have a common programme. The duration is 20 minutes and it does not have particular technical support. Each group expresses itself in its own language, but it knows that the others do not understand it. It must thus envisage a written presentation, which is translated in the two other languages in its own country.

Comprehensive meeting in Trielle.
Photo Theatre for Youth in Europe

The transversal workshops are double-folded:

in the first one ("transfer of know-how"), each group chose in advance and prepared the transmission of a personal cultural element (a dance, a song, a ritual, etc...), which the others are taught in a workshop for which it has the responsibility. in the second one ("transversal work"), animated by an outside contributor, a topic is imposed and all participants individually bring documents and texts in connection with their country, which will be used as material for a short production in front of the others. The topic chosen for Trielle is: The Volcano.