Sous la feuille

A continent to explore

“Trees are vertical, overhanging and solid, somewhat like adults. But a child is not only small in the forest: he can also see himself as a giant, discovering the microscopic abundance all around.”
Ariane Voineau and Josué Beaucage​​

Partners Ariane and Josué have draped the theatre in colourful tents and cozy furs to welcome us to the hushed atmosphere of a night by the fireside. Under the huge leaf, through dance and music, we are both tiny and gigantic! Say NO to mosquitoes and bad weather, and YES to a lovely and wonderful moment in nature. 

With this show of infinite delicacy, creators wanted to put nature at the center and arouse our astonishment at what it contains in treasures. 

By the way...

A swarming little end of the world awaits you just at your doorstep. Step on the other side and become explorers!

Credits
Created, designed, produced and performed by Josué Beaucage and Ariane Voineau / Directed by Olivier Normand

Great explorers

Activities for children ages 3 and up, accompanied by older children.

Activity # 1 – Nature walk | Observation exercise

Materials: Your nose, your ears… and your legs!

Whatever the season, nature reveals thousand of surprises. Go for a walk (in your neighbourhood, in a park, in the woods) and observe your surroundings. What do you see, hear, smell?

Observation mission A – Bigger or smaller? (ages 3+)

Materials: A sheet of paper, coloured pencils

During your walk, have fun identifying objects, from smallest to largest. Make comparisons: are you bigger or smaller than a rock, a tree? And if you were the size of an ant, how would that tree look to you? And if you flew over your neighbourhood like a bird, what would it look like? 

When you return, draw your world from the viewpoint of the ant (near) or the bird (far). Grab your coloured pencils! 

Observation mission B – Naming trees (ages 6+)

Materials: Notebook, pencil, camera

Focus your attention on the trees, and note the features that make them distinctive. Try to find their names by looking for clues such as the shape of their leaves or thorns and the texture of their bark.

You’ll find some helpful identification keys here and here.

Take pictures and write down a few details to help you.

Activity # 2 – My first herbarium | Creative exercise

Material: petits trésors de la nature, colle, papier...

How would you like to create your own herbarium? You can also do a craft project with the things you find on your nature walk (pine cones, leaves, fir needles…).

For older ones, let yourself be inspired by Une forêt en boîte by artist Jessica Beauchemin. You can watch it on La Fabrique Culturelle. (in French)

“The forest is mysterious and grandiose. And when you turn over a leaf, there's a whole continent underneath.”
Josué Beaucage (translated)

Theatrical camping

Activity # 3 – The tent | Adventure training

Do-it-yourself attitude and resourcefulness 

Have you ever been camping? In your room, in your classroom or on your balcony, let your imagination run wild and set up your tent. Use a sheet, a blanket and pillows, and gather everything you'll need for camping (a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a book…).

Activity # 4 – Night sounds | Auditory dream

Listening skill and ingenuity

What nocturnal sounds can you hear when you go camping? The wind blowing? Branches creaking? Crickets? Owls? Little mice?… Bears?! With your family, imitate the sounds of the forest at night. Close your eyes and you’ll feel as if you were there… 

Still curious?

Here are some suggestions to continue your exploration:

Additional resources

• En orbite dans la Philosphère: Philosophy workshop (in French) with Stéphanie Boyer to approach our relationship with nature.
• An interview with the creators of Sous la feuille. (In French)

Reading list

• Le fan club des champignons, Élise Gravel, Les 400 Coups (picture book, ages 5+)
• Le chemin de la montagne, Marianne Dubuc, Comme des géants (picture book, ages 3-6)
• Nous sommes là, Olivier Jeffers, Kaléidoscope (picture book, ages 3-6)
• La feuille d’or, Kristen Hall et Matthew Forsythe, Comme des géants (picture book, ages 3-6)