La Corneille bleue is a puppet and visual theatre company, founded in 2019 by Céline Dumont, who was soon joined by Pollux Serneels. The two friends met amidst the velvet curtains of the Brussels Conservatoire. Keen to explore performance spaces beyond the theatre, they created their first street show, Come on, let’s get out of here! in 2021.
On the street, they discovered a different audience and a different atmosphere, which they loved and never wanted to leave. Reaching out to people in their own neighbourhoods, transforming their familiar surroundings by setting up a big top, creating a fleeting bubble, taking a step away from their everyday lives.
It is in this quest for accessibility and universality that they chose the silent form and puppetry. To create whilst attempting to break down borders, language barriers, socio-cultural backgrounds, or age differences. To create an artistic work where it is possible to project whatever one wishes of oneself and to make the narrative one’s own.
Whilst studying at the Conservatoire, Céline and Pollux were often required to create short, free-form pieces. Céline felt that her creativity was not best expressed through words and sought other avenues. She discovered a fascination with visual theatre and puppetry, which she explored in greater depth during workshops with Alain Moreau and Isabelle Darras. Alongside her studies, she took sculpture classes and workshops to work with materials and create her own tools. As soon as they graduated, Céline set about creating Viens, on se tire! and asked Pollux to join her. Without a moment’s hesitation, the two friends began making their own sets, gathering objects here and there to bring their story to life. They chose La Corneille bleue as their company name. ‘Bleue’ (Blue), because it’s pretty. And ‘Corneille’ (Crow), because, like these birds, they rummage through mounds of discarded objects to find their next hidden gem. It is said that when crows band together, they do not hesitate to take on those bigger than themselves. La Corneille bleue also embodies the determination to stand united in the face of the world’s absurdity.