Pom’

Who is Pom’?

Created as part of the operatic parade celebrating the millennium of the city of Caen, Pom’ appeared accompanied by a symphony orchestra and 400 choristers in a scene evoking the post-war period.

Pom’ represents a young adolescent inspired by the Lost Boys of *Peter Pan* — a poetic way of evoking the many children left orphaned after the war, who came to occupy an important place in the life of the city.

The figure also symbolizes the territory’s capacity to rebuild and reinvent itself, particularly through its youth.

What does the participatory construction of a giant puppet involve?

Building a giant is the result of an innumerable succession of small, seemingly insignificant elements assembled by a multitude of different people; from this collective effort emerges the desired form.

Beyond the objective of construction itself, the primary aim is to create a space conducive to exchange. It is also about enabling participants to surprise themselves — to become the heroes of their own adventure.

The process unfolds over five weeks: one month to build the giant, imagine its story, and let the rumor spread throughout the city, the neighborhood, the village. For five weeks, a temporary workshop is open from morning to evening, six days a week — a space for encounters and dialogue.

The sixth week is devoted to rehearsals and the presentation of the performance in public space.

It is said that these puppets are so large because they are made up of all the small stories of the many people who came to take part in their construction. Here, reality and imagination catch up with one another, offering an elevated perspective on the world around us.