AfriKa
“I am an African, I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees , the flowers, seas and the ever- changing seasons that define the face of our native land”
Deputy President TM Mbeki Adoption of RSA Constitution Bill Statement of 8 May 1996
Afrika explores what it means to be African and what the prerequisites are for belonging to a specific region or country; it looks at stereotypes and seeks to uncover the intolerance that groups of people feel towards one another and the resultant derogatory speech and violence which can occur.
The work delves into the complexities of living side by side, the roots of xenophobia and cultural intolerance and seeks uncover why xenophobia typically focuses on other African nationalities and does not extend to people from Europe, The Americas or Asia. South Africa is seen by the rest of Africa as not being truly African.
Performances:
•Performed at CCFM, Maputo – 2015
•18th Internationale Schillertage, Mannheim - 2015
•6th Edition of the Connexion Kin Festival, Kinshasa - 2015
Originally co-produced by CulturArte – Pamoja, during a residency supported by Pro Helvetia Johannesburg/SDC 2015