From Program to Data : Macro and Micro Perspectives at the Avignon Festivals (In and Off) Communication dans un congrès

This presentation demonstrates how theatre programs from the Avignon Festivals (IN and OFF) provide a unique opportunity to study the evolution of contemporary theatre through both macro- and micro-historical approaches. As part of the ERC-funded From Stage to Data project, we use diplomatic transcription and data modeling to transform programs into structured data, covering the entire history of both festivals. This allows for the exploration of questions related to artistic and technical collaborations, shifts in job titles, evolving production contexts, and individual career trajectories. On a macro-historical scale, we employ quantitative methods, such as network and time-series analysis, to identify long-term patterns and trends in theatrical collaborations, the emergence of new genres, and changing production practices over time. This approach sheds light on the broader role of the Avignon Festivals in shaping European theatre networks and artistic movements. On a micro-historical level, the structured data enables us to reconstruct and compare personal trajectories, mapping individual artists’ collaborations and professional development across multiple festivals and years. This dual perspective, combining macro and micro levels of analysis, demonstrates how integrating digital humanities tools can enrich and transform theatre historiography. Moreover, we address the methodological challenges of standardizing performance data. We propose an ontology which can improve interoperability among theatre archives and facilitate broader historiographic research. Ultimately, this study highlights the underexplored potential of festival programs as primary sources for reconstructing artistic histories and reshaping our understanding of the role of festivals.