Françoise PACA Gautier

Born from conflicting forces, Paca cultivates the ambiguity that allows them to present themselves in turn as a singer, actor, dyslexic musician or performer. Ever since they were a small child, tourism has made them feel sick, with fever and convulsions. They wonder where the rub lies. So they dig beneath the sand of idyllic beaches, at the risk of unearthing the bones of ancestors. For them, they weep their sorrow at 120 BPM. To us, they sing of bitterness whilst smiling from ear to ear. Here at L’Abri, PACA engages in a dialogue with their imposter syndrome to turn doubt into a method – FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT – because, after all, finding one’s place depends on the day.

Born in 1996, Françoise Paca Gautier is a Swiss-Dominican performer. They grew up between two cultures in the south of France, near Nice.

From a very early age, Paca traveled extensively to visit family living in Geneva, New York, Barcelona, Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico. These travels led them to move around, to question their identity and to adapt to cultures that are very different from one another. They speak four languages and particularly enjoy studying them, as they provide access to subtle, nuanced and varied layers of different parts of the world. In their artistic practice, Paca is interested in the anthropological aspect of the performing arts. These are the best means they have found so far to forge connections and understand others in a sincere and empathetic way. They started playing the guitar at the age of 9. A few years later, they were admitted to the Centre International de Valbonne, where they completed their secondary education with a specialisation in music. Paca joined their school’s orchestra and sang in local bars on the weekends with their guitar. Their first experience of performing on stage was therefore through music. They trained in vocal technique with Deborah Bellevy. After finishing secondary school, Paca moved to Geneva and began exploring theatre. They joined the pre-professional class at the Conservatoire of Dramatic Art in Geneva. Alongside their training in spoken theatre, they developed an interest in other performing arts such as trapeze, floor acrobatics and ballet. They are also a member of various musical groups and released their first solo EP, “Naiad”, in 2018. They then joined the Accademia Teatro Dimitri. Whilst studying, Paca was awarded the Migros “Pour-cent-culturel” (Cultural-per-centage) grant for movement theatre. They are interested in multidisciplinarity and seek to explore the performing arts in different forms. In 2021, their Bachelor’s thesis was selected for the “Quart d’heures de Sevelin” (Sevelin’s quarter-hours), which allowed them to focus on a dance-based research centred on the figure of Joan of Arc. In 2023, Paca worked on various theatre projects as a musician and singer. They were spotted by Ntando Cele, who hired them as a singer for the Wasted Land project. This project enabled them to focus on decolonial issues through their practice. They are also interested in street arts and are a member of two collectives working in public spaces: the “Collectif Bâclé” (Botched Collective) and the Théâtre de l’Extrême. Paca also continues their work as a musician through composition and sound design.