Theaterpractices for Traumaprocessing & Strengthening the Narratives of Migrantized Women in Belgium

This paper will study a pilot theatre project for vulnerable migrantised women set up by Empact (a socio-cultural civil society organisation in Flanders) as part of the Horizon Europe project ReIncluGen. This participatory theatre project centralises the remembrance and honouring of migration narratives and labour migration histories in general and the intergenerational role of migrant women and mothers in particular. As the government saw 1st generation women primarely as reproductive forces, gender injustices were perpetuated. 2nd generation women struggled with this, making their pain expressable and finding empowerment through storytelling. Through the involvement of these migrant women as agents from the start of the trajectory, this paper will shed light on the role of theatre (skills) as a tool for socio-cultural empowerment.

Additionally, the authors will position themselves in this chapter as migrantised women using arts based (applied) research. The idea of this trajectory was initiated by the second author who has guided a previous project called ‘Tesrith an Arif’ (Bride from the Rif), initiated by Empact’s member association ‘Vrouwkracht’ (Female Power). In this previous project many migrant women got on stage for the first time and could speak in a safe environment being a women’s only safe space. The first author (partly) participated in the theatre project and initiated the co-creative development of this paper’s main reflections. Finally, the third author will contribute by reflecting on the discourses in this pilot project as creator of the art science production “(Un)Certain Mothers” which prior to the start of this project was screened by and received attention and admiration from Empact’s member associations. As a result many of Empact’s participating women showed a great interest in developing their own theatre play where they could remember and honour their past experiences both as daughters and mothers of Moroccan immigration in Belgium