The brave space is a concept that offers an alternative to the dominant public space and safe spaces. A “safe space”, also referred to as a positive space, neutral zone, or secure space, denotes an environment where marginalised people, due to one or more affiliations with certain social groups, can come together to express their experiences of social exclusion. It is part of an empowerment approach and allows participants to avoid facing the negative reactions that typically dominate their presence . Safe spaces are believed to have emerged in the 1960s in the United States, initially related to physical spaces frequented by the LGBT+ community, then expanded to feminist movements in the 1960s and 1970s, before extending to academic teaching spaces and certain virtual spaces on the internet. These terms are also used to indicate that a teacher, educational institution, or student body does not tolerate anti-LGBT violence, harassment, or hate speech, with the goal of creating a safe environment for all gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students." (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_space)

Unlike safe spaces, brave spaces are not limited to those directly affected; they are also open to allies, those who are sensitive, genuinely curious, and/or eager to learn more about lived realities or experiences of discrimination. In her talk "On vulnerability, playfulness, and keeping yourself honest” (https://vimeo.com/474744892), African-American activist and author Adrienne Maree Brown argues that it is impossible for a space to be absolutely safe. This would imply that such places are politically correct for everyone, which would limit the possibility of expression and be inhibiting rather than liberating. The concept of brave space refers to spaces where, when entering, we are aware that we take the risk of being wrong and being corrected in order to improve and learn. These are places where we can be strong together. This concept is beginning to emerge in the field of education, primarily on American campuses where safe spaces had been established, but their limitations were being acknowledged. A safe space is a place to recharge and take a break, while a brave space is more confrontational and active.

Many articles and educational content exist on this topic, but they are deeply rooted in the American context of university campuses or the professional sphere. In her talk, Adrienne Maree Brown cites the following poem by Micky ScottBey Jones:

AN INVITATION TO A BRAVE SPACE 

Together we will create brave space
Because there is no such thing as a “safe space” —
We exist in the real world
We all carry scars and we have all caused wounds.
In this space
We seek to turn down the volume of the outside world.
We amplify voices that fight to be heard elsewhere,
We call each other to more truth and love
We have the right to start somewhere and continue to grow.
We have the responsibility to examine what we think we know.
We will not be perfect.
It will not always be what we wish it to be
But
It will be our brave space together
And
We will work on it side by side.

The concept of a brave space moves beyond the reflex of denouncing and pointing fingers at culprits. It is a space that allows participants to develop their awareness of issues of privilege and oppression.Unlike a safe space, participants in a brave space take on the courage to discuss sensitive topics on which not everyone may share the same experience, and which can generate discomfort. It's important to note that we're not in a brave space, but participating in a brave space. This means that we are in an active process, with participants coming from different viewpoints and experiences, ready to acknowledge their privileges and engage in dialogue with care and respect for others. African-American activist and educator Bell Hooks develops  a similar concept in her book “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom”, with the idea of transformative pedagogy in respect of multiculturalism. She explains that by working with a critical pedagogy, she enters the classroom with the assumption that a community must be built there in order to create an atmosphere of openness and intellectual rigor. Rather than focusing on issues of safety, she argues that a sense of community creates a shared sense of engagement and a common good that connects the people present. Starting from the idea that we all share the desire to learn and improve, both intellectually and in our capacity to live more fully in the world, she envisions one way to build a community in the classroom as recognising the value of each individual voice. To this end, in her classes, she encourages students to keep a journal and share it with one another. Brave spaces thus make room for intersectionality, the overlap and accumulation of various oppressions experienced by individuals.

NB: This article is largely inspired by an excerpt from Agathe Hazard-Raboud's master's thesis "Espace de Force. Pour un art vivant, solidaire et inclusif”', Head/Genève, 2021. References: Adrienne Maree Brown, “On vulnerability, playfulness, and keeping yourself honest”, 29.10.2020 https://vimeo.com/474744892 bell hooks, “Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom”, Routledge, 1994, pp. 40-41 For translation: the IRESMO website, Institute of Research on Social Movements, “The classroom as a critical space of encouragement” (“brave space”), 04.02.2018 https://iresmo.jimdofree.com/2018/02/04/la-classe-comme-espace-critique-d-encouragement-brave-space/