PINOCCHIO EFFECT - LABORATORY

In 2023, the research for PINOCCHIO EFFECT was conducted through a series of Laboratories focused on trust, honesty and communication within family dynamics.

Through in-depth interviews with families, parents and their children, the laboratory explored how truth and lies function in everyday relationships, and how honesty is negotiated, protected or avoided within family systems.

These personal conversations formed the foundation for the scenes and narratives of the theatre performance PINOCCHIO EFFECT. The laboratory created space for participants to reflect on their own experiences with truth-telling and deception, revealing the emotional and ethical complexity of these dynamics.

The research phase concluded with a symposium led by philosopher Jan Vlameling, bringing together multiple perspectives on lying and truth. Invited experts included Rianne Kok (researcher of the FAMI-LIES project, funded by an ERC Starting Grant 949041) and Annemarie Labinyo (behavioural analyst).

Together, they provided philosophical, scientific and behavioural insights into deception, trust and moral decision-making. The symposium situated the personal stories from the laboratory within a broader societal and theoretical context.

The entire research process, including interviews, laboratory sessions and rehearsals, was documented by filmmaker Paul Sixta. The resulting documentary was presented alongside the performance, offering audiences insight into the artistic and social research behind PINOCCHIO EFFECT.