Et Maintenant?, A Festival That Questions the Present

Led by ARTE France, the Et Maintenant? festival explores the major issues shaping our societies: identities, narratives, social transformations, and collective imaginaries. Through hybrid artistic formats such as debates, performances, and stage creations, it opens spaces to think about the present differently.
In this context, programming the Newcomer Comedy Club by SINGA as the closing night was a strong statement: giving the stage to comedians who tell the world through plural trajectories, with sharpness, humor, and freedom.

An Open Stage, Five Distinct Voices

For this special edition, the Newcomer Comedy Club by SINGA brought together five artists with very different universes. On stage, they shared far more than jokes: offbeat perspectives on society, lived experiences, and stories from here and elsewhere transformed into material for both laughter and reflection. Through self-deprecation, keen observation, and social critique, their stand-up created a shared space where everyone could recognize themselves, for one evening.

🎤 Fiona
Born in Switzerland to a Swedish mother and an Italian father, Fiona explores her multiple cultures with subtle, multilingual, and playful humor.

🎤 Joelle Gewolb
Originally from England, Joelle captivates audiences with sharp, bold, and unapologetic humor.

🎤 Jean-Paul Poveda
Born in Brazil and now based in Paris, Jean-Paul turns his multiple experiences into energetic and hard-hitting stand-up.

🎤 Avotcha
Between Réunion Island, Madagascar, and France, Avotcha offers sensitive and engaged humor shaped by his plural identities.

🎤 Maoulé
Originally from Benin, Maoulé delivers a sharp and deeply human stand-up inspired by his daily life in France and memories from elsewhere.

In the Audience: Laughter, Emotion, and Resonance

Throughout the evening, laughter punctuated each performance, alternating between well-crafted punchlines and attentive silences. The audience left with the feeling of having shared a moment that was both light-hearted and profound.

“We laughed a lot, there were all kinds of jokes and profiles,” one spectator shared after the show.

A Turning Point for the Newcomer Comedy Club

ARTE France’s decision to invite the Newcomer Comedy Club to close its festival marks a key milestone. For the first time, the format was hosted at the initiative of a major cultural partner, signaling its maturity and its ability to reach new audiences.

“The project has matured enough for us to deploy it and take it across France,” explains Benoît Hamon, CEO of SINGA.

The ambition is clear: to make the Newcomer Comedy Club by SINGA a traveling format, open to new audiences, and capable of shifting perceptions around migration.

Building Community Through Laughter

Through stand-up comedy, SINGA continues to create spaces where newly arrived individuals can tell the world differently, without moralizing speeches, simply through laughter and encounter. A powerful way to change perspectives by giving space to voices too often absent from cultural stages.

Thank you to ARTE France, the Gaîté Lyrique, and the artists Fiona, Joelle Gewolb, Jean-Paul Poveda, Avotcha, and Maoulé for this collective moment of brilliance.

The Newcomer Comedy Club will be back very soon for a 5th edition. And one thing is certain: laughter is far from done traveling.