The Malice center, in Beauvais, organized the taste memories in order to share the continuity of the project “Saint-Lucien tells Saint-Lucien”. A book on the memory of the neighborhood which will be published in 2025.
“The memory of the Saint-Lucien district is 60 years of history, it’s you, it’s us”. The emotion is in full swing Mischief. Some have tears in their eyes, others have smiles. Nostalgia takes hold of all generations of the neighborhood, gathered that evening, Wednesday April 17, around “snack of memories”.
“Saint-Lucien tells Saint-Lucien”, this is the very essence of the project, which brings together so many different actors: civic service, city policy for urban renewal, writers like Mohamed Mbougar Sarr And Patrice Juifflandlords, residents and many others… Around a single mission: to retrace and perpetuate the memory of the neighborhood, through a book which will be released in 2025.
Life stories
The idea of a work on the neighborhood had been brewing in my mind for more than six years. by AbdelMajid Benbouhacalled by all Majid, referent of the project house. But the format came to fruition a little less than two years ago“during a drink with the locals”.
“One of them asks me if there used to be a swimming pool in the area”. Majid doesn’t know how to answer, asks around, then other questions emerge: “Was there a factory? A French prison camp?”. From each question then arise anecdotes : “My great-grandmother told me about the swimming pool”, “I know a lady who saw wartime”…And then there are the feelings of life today: “They say there is violence and boredom. But there are also shops, a gymnasium, a media library, schools and a nursery. And all those who mobilize on a daily basis to make the neighborhood more united.”
A feeling shared by those present at Malice. “This neighborhood is a big family, when you are adopted, it’s for life”asserts Saïd, resident of Soie Vauban, who “made him what he has become today”, under the proud gaze of Majid. So for all those adopted by the neighborhood, Majid brings together a bunch of partners to collect this memory. The association Archipop carried out historical work by creating four frescoes which trace the history of Saint-Lucien.
Then there are the personal and intimate life stories that arouse indescribable emotion. “This lady who tells me about having improvised a birth in an apartment in 1961 to save this woman’s life… This way of telling this moment of life touched me so much”says Majid.
Door to door
In this dynamic of collective work, it was necessary “that as many residents as possible join the project”. SO twelve volunteers from the Uniscité association, members of the civic service and the project house knocked on almost every door. “There was often a lot of distrust,” says Enzo. “Without the presence of landlords or associations, we would hardly have been able to enter people’s homes”, Alicia continues. For these young people, it was not easy to enter into this intimacy. However, those who have achieved it hold as “an intergenerational torch”. And this book will be consecration.
The project sponsor
Beauvaisian Mohamed Mbougar Sarr is the sponsor of the “Saint-Lucien tells Saint-Lucien” project. Goncourt Prize 2021 with his work “The most secret memory of men”this transcription of memory has a lot of meaning for the writer. “By collecting the words of the inhabitants, their memories, there is a collective memory, experienced differently, which becomes unique, like an autonomous memory”summarizes the author.
