Facilitator mediator at the Château des Rubins in Sallanches, Lauriane Taravel opens the doors to cultural mediation at the heart of the Observatoire des Alpes, where history and environment meet to offer a unique experience to visitors.
What training path led you to your current position?
I first obtained a BTS in Tourism in Grenoble, then I moved towards mediation with a guide-lecturer license in Ardèche. Subsequently, I continued my studies with a master's degree in heritage professions in Chambéry, driven by the desire to work in direct contact with the public.
What made you want to join the Château des Rubins team?
I arrived three years ago, at the very beginning of the Alpine Observatory project. I saw the job offer while I was in Grenoble, where I was working as a travel advisor and guide.
What I liked? The fact of creating everything and then doing mediation throughout the year. With Marie, Arnaud and Robin, we worked together to make the offer consistent with the scenography already in place. We set up a bi-monthly program with new features every two monthsWe also wanted to integrate a historical dimension, linked to the castle itself, by highlighting a medieval theme, especially in autumn.
During our mediations, we work with materials such as: wool and plant fibers, approach the environment in a more historical and artisanal way, allowing the public to reconnect with the material. The aim is not to compete with other cultural structures, but rather to offer something different and complementary, with varied themes throughout the year, such as wood, wool, and plants.
A day in the life of a mediator at the Château des Rubins
We open to the public at 10am, but we are on site from 9am. Sometimes we welcome groups of children from 9:30am. There is no typical day, it all depends on the program. If there is a group, we have to prepare the animation, welcome the participants, supervise them throughout the visit, and manage the activities on the different floors to ensure that everything goes well. On days when there is no group, we work on programming and communication, as well as on the creation of new mediations.
Your favorite time of day?
What I particularly like is the process of creating a new mediation : design it, structure it, then see how it is received by the public and observe the visitors' reactions. I like this balance between creation and transmission.
Do you have an anecdote to share with us?
There are always some “gems” during the events, but what is really rewarding is when school groups, particularly middle school students who are not very interested at first, leave saying that they enjoyed it. It’s a satisfaction to show them that culture is accessible to them. The goal is not only for them to learn something, but above all for them to have a good time in a cultural structure.
In your opinion, what role does Château des Rubins play within the local community?
In Sallanches, there was already a cultural offering focused on shows and the media library. The Château des Rubins brings additional dynamism with its regular entertainment, providing a place where locals want to return.
How do you choose the theme of your Rubinoscopes?
We try to make sure that the themes are in keeping with the current theme on the different floors of the castle. Right now, it's the mountains, but in January/February, the "Rubinoscopes" will focus on wood, and later on plants and wool. We also choose according to the public, their age, their number, and we allow ourselves a certain freedom to please ourselves and share this passion.
What is your most common challenge?
The biggest challenge is to know how to communicate well about our mediations. We strive to have an original and recognizable style. We must also know how to renew ourselves to make the local public want to come back. We also need to be cost effective, reusing the materials we purchase for our workshops and filling our workshops to ensure their success.
How do you see the Château des Rubins evolving in the years to come?
We will have to renew our themes. Currently, we offer five main ones (water, the first summer, wood, plants, etc.). Our audience is rather local, so the goal is to keep them coming back while also attracting tourists, who often come first to discover the castle itself.
Getting to the Château des Rubins
Themes
