COVEN is a community of women of all ages and backgrounds, occupying a space for a full week per session, and developing transformative practices, with a focus on the transversality of artistic, social and political issues. COVEN is a network of sororities: each woman invited invites a “sister”, a member of her family, or a sister at heart.

Coven’s transdisciplinary programme is based on choreographic and vocal practices each morning, followed in the afternoon by theoretical and practical interventions related to knowledge of the body. The programme deliberately leaves spaces open, inviting participants to come and join in and share a practice or knowledge that they have.
Each session takes place in a new context, and ends with a form of celebration, as well as a collective archiving work, taking the form of a manifesto, fanzines, a short film, or radio plays.

Inspired by feminist science fiction, ecofeminist thinking, and transformative justice processes, COVEN is a space and a time for the circulation of knowledge, ideas, and practices, based on principles of cooperation and self-education. A space to explore our creativities as tools for intimate, daily and collective life. A time to build links, visions and narratives for the world, the future, our bodies.

MANIFESTO

We are sisters
We are at the beginning
We are the beginning of the day
We are the beauty of nature
We are the sharing of all the bonds we have, as a family
We are a giant body with many heads, a giant woman with many voices
voices
We are women and human, united and unique, playful and joyful
joyful, thinking, and caring
We are the night
We are like a family, sisters
We are a fire
We are witches
We are strong
We are a circle of women who love, respect, and admire each other.
We are sisters
We are the island of women
We are a group of women of diverse backgrounds, ages, experiences,
experiences
We are women, laughter, looks, and voices
We declare to be connected
We declare independence
We declare that our relationship is long lasting
We declare the birth of COVEN on 13 July 2019 in the Bois de Vincennes.
As long as we exist, COVEN will exist, here, there, inside, outside
We declare born the ideal society, egalitarian, of all ages, of exchange, and
dʼinventions
We declare victory
We declare that we want to keep smiling
We declare to be our own mistresses
We declare the equality of magic
We declare ourselves warriors
We declare that all women are our equals, they are our friends,
our companions, our sisters. All different, all together, we
are united
We declare that we are proud of ourselves and each other
We declare to be
We declare that we are strong together in caring for each other
We want diversity, sharing, horizontality
We want equality
We want to know something of the good that they do not know
We want a harmonious and dissonant society of living humans and
non-humans, we want more visibility and connection for sisters everywhere
We want to live free, in balance, in heart, in spirit, in joy
We want freedom
We want to gather more often
We want to sing together
We want to live freedom
We want freedom
We want the borders, boundaries, prejudices, and fears that keep us from feeling connected and
fears that prevent us from feeling connected to each other and being ourselves
ourselves
We want to dance and sing together
We want to live
We want to live without fear
We refuse intolerance
We refuse to be seen as useful
We refuse the suspense that is not good
We refuse the domination of the living by man, and for that we take
care
We refuse gender, age, class, money stereotypes
We refuse to be rejected
We refuse to be rejected
We refuse to be identical
We refuse to be blocked and forbidden
We refuse to be unjust
We refuse to be silent, submissive, discreet, ignored, insulted,
rejected, pitted against each other
We refuse to be separated
We refuse to be oppressed
We refuse violence

CREDITS
Conception	Nina Santes
Participants ( 2019-23)	Maeva Cunci, Julie Laporte, Lise Vermot, Lynda Rahal, Dalila Khatir, Camille Ducellier, Collectif La Vulva, the habitants of Emmaüs Solidarité / Epernay-sur-Orge, the habitants of Vincennes, Paris, Elsa Bouviolle, Aude De Keukelaere, Caroline Dejoie, Prisca Cernaux, Solange Fleury, Laurence Larigauderie, Mathilde Leïchlé, Margaux Linassier, Florence Louahghi, Marie-France Mosnier, Thérèse Nalin, Christine Robert, Judikaëlle Venon, Jasmine Vingerder et Nora Vingerder. And the collective of ”Les Jaseuses” (Caroline Dejoie et Mathilde Leïchlé) Collective practices 2023 : 22-23 april 2023 (CCNO) ; 27-28 may 2023 (CCNO- ; 24-25 june 2023 (La Pratique – Vatan) Collective exhibition (CCNO) : 16 oct-17 nov 2023 Related event: Nocturne féministe au FRAC – Centre Val de Loire (2 nov. 2023)

DATES
4-25 june 2023	Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans – CCNO
27-28 may 2023	Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans – CCNO
22-23 april 2023	Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans – CCNO
2022	Encounters at Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans – CCNO
2021	1 week at the Atelier de Paris – CDCN Launch of the podcast RADIO COVEN
2020	1 week roaming in Paris
2019	2 weeks at the Atelier de Paris – CDCN and at Emmaüs Solidarité / Epernay-sur-Orge