Science & Storytelling: Montpellier’s Unique Arts-Science Residency

Montpellier, France – A series of performances beginning this week at the Émile Zola media library will showcase the results of an innovative residency program pairing scientists at the University of Montpellier with professional storytellers. The “La Science rend des contes” (Science Makes Tales) project, launched in September 2025, aims to create complex scientific research accessible to children aged six to eleven and their families through the art of narrative.

The residency brought together three storytellers – Gwladys Batta, Rémi Garcia-Kerviel, and Francine Vidal – who immersed themselves in university laboratories, working alongside researchers focused on themes of water, mosquitoes, and bioimaging. The project, labeled “Science with and for Society” (SAPS) by the University of Montpellier, is a collaboration with Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and its network of libraries.

The first performance, “Peut-on conter sur le moustique?” (Can We Share Stories About Mosquitoes?), is scheduled for February 14th. It will explore the often-overlooked world of mosquitoes, a subject described as “familiar” by the University. On March 14th, “Lokili – Les mondes de l’eau” (Lokili – The Worlds of Water) will delve into the importance and fragility of water resources.

The final event on March 21st will feature a longer program, beginning with “Le Cosmos des Minus” (The Cosmos of the Smallest), which explores the microscopic world of cells through the perspective of a child. This will be followed by a second performance of “Lokili – Les mondes de l’eau.” The University describes each performance as “a shared experience” where artists embody scientific knowledge, followed by a discussion between the audience and the participating scientists.

The “La Science rend des contes” residency is expected to yield not only live performances but similarly podcasts, to be distributed on music platforms, and illustrations. The initiative builds on a previous phase of the project, which ran from 2025 to 2026, bringing storytellers into research labs to explore and translate scientific findings into engaging narratives.

The project is part of the broader UM VIA des sciences initiative, and is intended to “sensitize children…to science by offering a space where scientific rigor dialogues with poetry, emotion and imagination,” according to the University of Montpellier.