Récits MéMORade(s) PIM: Exploring and transmitting the coastal memories of the Brest harbour area

From 5 to 9 January 2026, the MéMORade(s) PIM invited students to explore the Brest harbour area (rade de Brest) as a territory of memory, meeting older residents to gather their memories, sensations and representations of the coastline. The aim was to question the links between memory, territory and transmission, while contributing to the enhancement of a living and sensitive heritage.

Working in small groups, participants designed and facilitated a range of workshops: sensory walks, subjective mapping exercises, and collections of objects and photographs. The tools they developed encouraged intergenerational dialogue and helped weave, through each encounter, a sensitive narrative of the territory, allowing places and landscapes to resonate through collective memory. This project stood out for its emphasis on sensory and experiential approaches, highlighting voices, emotions and lived experiences.

To support their reflections and fieldwork, students had the opportunity to meet during the week:

• Malo Bars, PhD researcher in environmental geography, Université Bretagne Occidentale
• Nathalie Krien, Doctor in social and environmental psychology, ENSTA
• Jeanne Riaux, Anthropologist and research director at IRD

The project concluded with a collective exhibition in free and creative formats, combining texts, maps, photographs and sound recordings to share the richness of the collected narratives. Among the materials produced were two sensory maps, timelines, and audio capsules accompanied by portraits. To support them in setting up this exhibition, the students were guided by Sébastien Hervé.

At the end of the programme, students developed skills in active listening, interview methodology and creativity, while also learning how to translate human experiences into outputs that combine cultural transmission and artistic expression.

The collection of testimonies was made possible thanks to partnerships with:

• the association Les Amis de la Plage Sainte-Anne
• the Plouzané community centre “La Courte Échelle”
• the Espace et Vie Recouvrance assisted living residence

Discovers students’ interview during the PIM Forum:

Supervisors:

• François Debels, EGEL student
• Adèle Le Gall, EGEL student