Unravelling Memories

Interdisciplinary theatre practices can effectively facilitate the exploration and processing of personal and collective traumatic memories, as demonstrated by the Intimate Model’s Lab. This innovative approach, developed by artist and researcher Patricia Gershanik, brings together individuals with lived trauma experiences, therapists, academics, and artists from diverse backgrounds to engage in a five-day immersive workshop. Through physical play, object theatre, writing, drawing, and plastic modeling, participants collaboratively transpose their experiences into tangible representations. The Lab’s methodology, tested across multiple international settings including the ESMA Museum (a former Argentinian extermination camp), highlights its potential as a tool for trauma-informed placemaking and collective memory work.

Gershanik, P. (2024). Unravelling Memories. Trauma Informed Placemaking, 323–332. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003371533-34