In an old rail yard in north Paris sit three huge domes. The largest, La Bulle (left), is France’s first “welcome center” for asylum-seekers who have just arrived in France. Like most temporary shelters, La Bulle is a place of transitional survival, designed to meet its inhabitants’ basic needs until they can access longer-term accommodations.
The two conjoined domes alongside La Bulle (right) are called simply “The Dome” and belong to Good Chance Theatre, a British organization that sets up temporary theaters in places such as this in the name of “promoting freedom of expression, creativity and dignity for everyone.
Though it’s referred to as a theater, at times the Dome looks more like a community center devoted to collaborative art. It brings together artists, migrants, refugees, and volunteers through workshops that explore a variety of art practices. Through these workshops, participants are able to escape from the stresses of daily life in the shelter, try on new ways of relating, process what they’re going through, and connect with people across linguistic and cultural divides.
In a world where refugees are often regarded as either charity cases or social parasites, The Dome stands apart. There, everyone is treated as fellow artists and humans first and foremost. That foundation of mutual respect creates an environment where people can experiment and take creative risks without judgment, and where collaborative artistic exploration is possible.