ACYTA REPORT
CONTENTS:
1. ACYTA regional meeting, including all African Chapter reports
2. ACYTA participation in ARTERIAL NETWORK Conference
3. ACYTA organisation and participation in AFRICAN ARTS EDUCATION SUMMIT
1. ACYTA REGIONAL MEETING REPORT
The African regional network met in Johannesburg from 17-19 September 2009.
Participants:
South Africa - Yvette Hardie (YH), Janet Watts (JW), Benin – Eliane Chagas (EC), Cameroon – Etoundi Zeyang (EZ), Egypt – Mohamed Kareem (MK), Nigeria - Remymartin Obidiegwu Okafor (RO), Rwanda - Hope Azeda (HA), Sam Kyagambidwa (SK) , Swaziland - Maswati Dludlu (MD), Uganda – Jackson Ndawula (JN), Zimbabwe - Robert Chirima (RC)
Observers:
Mali – Igo Lassana Diara (ID), Uganda –Julius Lagaaya (JL), Sweden - Niclas Malmcrona (NM), South Africa – Oupa Manamela (OM), Kyla Davis (KD), Alex Halligey (AH), Tamara Gurhs (TG), USA –Jennifer Kulik (JK)
Apologies:
Namibia – Frederick Philander (FP); Mozambique – Manuela Soeira (MS); Zambia - Cheela Chilala (CC); Swaziland - Sandile Ndzimande (SN)
Absent:
Kenya – Ricky Gitahi; Botswana – Onkemetse Ndolo/ Tshoganyetso Mbise; Assitej Tanzania – Philemon Maswanga
1.1 General Report:
There was representation from 10 African countries with a total of 25 delegates attending some or all of the meeting, and most of these delegates went on to attend the Arterial Network meeting and the World Summit on Arts and Culture.
We used the opportunity to vote in a new Coordinating Committee and worked together on strategies to strengthen our network, and build capacity in terms of training and financial resources. Three more portfolios were created within the Coordinating Committee. The portfolios are: Fundraising, to be co-ordinated by Mohamed Kareem (Egypt), Capacity Building, co-ordinated by Janet Watts (South Africa) and Artistic Exchanges, co-ordinated by Etoundi Zeyang (Cameroon). The role of Communications Officer has gone to Robert Chirima (Zimbabwe), while Samuel Kyagambidwa (Rwanda) was seconded to take on the position of Secretary. Sandile Ndzimande (Swaziland) is remaining in his post as Treasurer of the organisation. Hope Azeda (Rwanda) was elected Deputy Chairperson, and Yvette Hardie was elected Chairperson of ACYTA.
Coming out of the meeting, we see new centres being launched soon in Mali, Sudan and Morocco, while there is also interest from DRC, Sierra Leone and Liberia to create Assitej chapters there.
We had an opportunity to discuss our work and projects with donor bodies and partners, such as Art Moves Africa, the Goethe Institut, SATI, French Institute, among others. This was also an opportunity for them to find out more about Assitej and we feel that the meeting has lifted the profile of ACYTA considerably.
Through the participation of Niclas Malmcrona, who presented on the 2011 World Congress, we were able to encourage African participation in the festival and congress. We were also able through the interaction to ensure participation in other African festivals on the continent, including the Rwandan Children’s festival (South Africa took a production to this festival), the Zimbabwean festival attracted some interest, and there were hopes for African participation in the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, 2010.
ACYTA Plan of Action:
Artistic Exchange: Etoundi Zeyang
Identify African Festivals and Festivals for children and Young People.
Travel to festivals
– check countries who are not members but have festivals for childrens’ theatre – these are important as they are more able to establish centres
– assist those who have no theatres to create some companies before establishing centres
Complete programme of festivals: Regionally harmonise dates and create African calendar of festivals
Twinning of Festivals
One communal project: identify possibilities for an ACYTA artistic exchange project. 20 March Celebration might be a possible rallying point for this.
Capacity Building: Janet Watts
Admin assistance for all chapters: eg calendar for General Assembly meetings, which could be distributed. Regional co-operation to be encouraged at that meeting. JW to source this calendar and distribute to relevant centres. Each meeting to be accompanied by a workshop / seminar. Feedback is important.
Identify training happening in each centre and distributing information via website.
Documentation of successes and challenges to be accumulated.
Workshop organised for delegates at next meeting, based on needs identified in chapters.
Delegates must report on how training was used.
Fundraising: Mohamed Kareem
Develop fund of ACYTA to be able to achieve our dreams e.g travelling, meeting etc. Not many Egyptian companies have invested in Africa and would like to have their names out there. Egypt tended to look north and now the government is keen to look south. MK will investigate the possibilities.
Research on who is funding in Africa: African Union, Art Moves Africa etc
Network with people who are setting up Arts Fund for Africa
Proposal for administration of funds to be made by January 2010.
Investigate fundraising in regard to in-kind support.
1.2 African Assitej National Centres – COUNTRY REPORTS
ASSITEJ BENIN: Eliane Chagas
There are 12 companies that are members of Assitej Benin. They hold an annual theatre festival. They are looking for co-operation with other Assitej centres, so that people can come and show other forms of theatre in Benin; they particularly need French-speaking countries to interact with them.
Eliane’s hope is that her centre can grow but money is a problem, very difficult to manage the centre through own pocket and not easy to keep people on board when they know there is no money in Assitej;
Problem around perceptions of theatre for children and young people – only think of storytelling, not of theatre; last festival only one company from Ivory Coast did very nice performance for children; Assitej Benin is organising workshops for children, developing computer skills;
Did a workshop for management of artistic projects at African school for heritage, after workshop, organised groups to improve what they learnt during the workshop; African school has supported her to do the festival – invited Togo, Ivory coast, Burkino Faso, Benin to participate in festival (3rd edition); Assitej Benin is becoming centre of theatre in Benin now;
ASSITEJ BOTSWANA
No delegate and no report.
ASSITEJ CAMEROON: Etoundi Zeyang
2008 – trying to realise a project with Ministry of Basic Education (who gives permission to theatre groups to travel to schools) to have theatre a priority in the schools, and to put in place a proper programme;
Assitej has aim of lobbying for quality performances; want to be resource persons to okay which theatre companies will go to schools to perform for children and young people, since many companies do it as a business, without really paying attention to childrens’ needs;
The companies need to have further capacity building in order to meet children’s needs.
Theatre Day for Children and Young People – 20 March – is celebrated.
Workshop and selection of group that would perform on 1 November.
National festival in December 10-16 December, Bolova (rotating festival from city to city) working towards decentralisation; Feskatej – national company, company coming from Switzerland will manage a workshop for Cameroonian actors; will receive a French woman to work with teachers to prepare children to watch a performance; how to explain a play for children
FATEJ to take place from 12-19 November 2010; Request to have more companies from Africa participating. FATEJ in very difficult situation – people don’t understand what we are trying to do; advantage is that we have many international connections; they have to support… 1996 – no support, only started to support FATEJ when they realiseed that it is a reality. This is one of the advantages of being part of the Assitej body. It is very important that Assitej Intl supported us at that moment, with people coming from all over the world, giving information, inviting companies; there is a new lady in Cameroon Arts and Culture; now Assitej Cameroon is consulted when there is a decision about theatre in Cameroon, which is a good thing.
Etoundi is one of four advisors for World Congress, hopes that 1 or 2 of selection committee can be there to see African work.
He is planning to travel to Tunisia to watch performances; west Africa and Southern Africa as well;
ASSITEJ EGYPT: Mohamed Kareem
In Egypt there is interest only in theatre for adults – international festival for film in Cairo – no productions for movies;
1996 – Kareem’s group was for theatre for adults, and he decided to move towards children’s theatre; wanting to build the characters of the children; that they can be problem-solvers and producers, not just consumers.
June 29 2006 Assitej Egypt was founded; we started as a small group; there are now12 groups in Assitej Egypt; in 2007, we started the Cairo festival after being there for just a few months;
No one wanted to do anything for childrens’ theatre; people were envious when the festival was successful, only 4 countries participated in this 1st edition;
2nd edition – 9 countries, not very strong edition yet;
3rd edition – all of Egypt supported it, Farouk Housny supported the festival; 2 million pounds funding (400 000 dollar); 16 groups from all over world – Ivica Simic, Wolfgang Schneider attended festival.
Challenge of how to bring and attract groups to Assitej Egypt;
Very few groups for childrens’ theatre, very few productions.
Cairo puppet theatre, National Children Theatre.
80 million people – what about the other cities? (e.g. Alexandria, Luxor)
MK went to adult theatre companies, and asked them to think about producing one performance for children… Persuaded groups to come to Assitej Egypt; “you keep your name, your title” The Home of theatre group presents this performance, supported by Assitej Egypt and this serves to develop children’s theatre;
Dr Nabeel Khalif, a playwright of theatre for children, (his plays are studied in the schools) has been invited to be the President of the Festival.
Assitej Egypt celebrates world day of theatre for children and young people and wants to create a national day for this…
People are now excited to do something for children’s theatre
Assitej Morocco and Assitej Saudi Arabia are being developed now.
Assitej yearbooks translated into Arabic
Becoming important authority for theatre for children and young people
Companies want to do something – tax reduction for sponsoring of events; what is the benefit of this festival?
Some international projects – Galli publishing house (Grimm stories) – didn’t know about Cairo festival; we can develop a 5 year partnership with them.
ASSITEJ KENYA:
No delegate and no report.
ASSITEJ MOZAMBIQUE
No delegate and no report.
ASSITEJ NIGERIA: Remymartin Okafor
Haven’t done very much through 2009; not that we weren’t working, but using personal funds to do the little that we could do.
April-May – video exchange with German theatre company from Potsdam; not expensive, and didn’t need funds; they did a video in line with storyline they sent us; Senegal also participated.
www.vimeo - can use it for sending videos;
Now an on-going project in dance-drama designed around global warming; just created soundtracks and going into studio to record (“Uwa”) – using theatre to give out the message - 2000 USD to do 3 music tracks;
Membership hasn’t increased, but there are no dues – made it free for first year; school children have free membership of organisation;
Database is very small with few companies and most of these theatre companies are business oriented.
NOTE: A point that was raised was that Etoundi has experienced a great deal of theatre in Nigeria, and these companies do not seem to know about Assitej or about Remymartin. Etoundi said he saw 20 theatre companies over 2 weeks in Franco tourist centre; professional companies working for theatre for children and young people. These theatre companies were given Remymartin’s contacts and he says they haven’t contacted him. There was some discussion around this and the fact that Assitej Nigeria must attract the absolutely best companies.
We feel that Remymartin is not doing enough to encourage interest in TYA and need sencouragement to hold events and workshops that are not expensive to do, but will generate interest. We are looking at holding West African regional workshops for this purpose…
ASSITEJ RWANDA: Hope Azeda and Sam Kyagambidwa
2008 – some members dropped away when realising that there is no money behind the organisation these were Edition Bakame and Inkingi. ARTEJ got another more active organisation which was interested in being a member. The organisation is called Ishyo, this organisation is working on forming an arts centre.
In 2008 –Mashirika group had a puppet project which was working on transforming stories for children into plays and it was expected to go around schools, but only 1 performance was conducted – environment/conservation – schools tour did not happen
2009 – Ishyo arts centre – plays performing for children, about children’s rights.
June: Artej members attended Biannual festival in Sweden under the sponsorship of Assitej Sweden– this was aimed at motivation and skills/exposure of ARTEJ members to other theatres for children from different parts of the world.
International workshops: ARTEJ and ASSITEJ Sweden organised artists and theatre training workshops – facilitators were from Sweden and participants were from Rwanda and Uganda. Up to 67 participants attended the training (11 from Sweden, 15 from Uganda, rest from Rwanda) – workshops conducted were, writing for children (age 6-10, 10-18) acting for children, puppet theatre, theatre administration. Participants were a mixture of teachers and theatre practitioners.
Puppet theatre is being carried on with the people who attended the workshops on Puppet making – and ARTEJ was proposed to contact UNIMA for more ideas and support.
Mashirika group is working on a production for mid-October, the theme of the play is “youth vulnerability around HIV-AIDs; cross-generational sex”.
For 2010 – ARTEJ is planning to come up with a proposal for working with different members of Assitej: on a project “Tomorrow will come” – giving hope to young children and exposing more about children’s rights.
Also another possible project that might be developed is theatre pieces with an aim to teach children and young people in primary schools about effects of genocide; proposal to teach about genocide; using the Mashirika UK model of touring.
Mashirika’s participation in Biannual festival in Sweden led to getting in touch with a theatre company called Free Theatre from Biarus; also being worked on by Mashirika in Rwanda is forging a co-operation with Theatre Factory (Uganda);
Worked with UNICEF – work with children – 20 children at national commemoration day; 30 000 people came; invited to Massachusets State house to perform with youth choir in Boston.
Trained children in performing skills: 100 kids came up with a production for big national event – The Doves “Utunyanje”
December 2009: A Children’s theatre festival at Ishyo centre to be attended by local and international groups and organised by Ishyo Arts centre (Carole Karamera).
ASSITEJ SOUTH AFRICA: Yvette Hardie and Janet Watts
While Assitej South Africa has not yet attracted organisational funding, it has attracted project funding. It held the ACYTA meeting, it also contributed to the organisation and presentation of the African Arts Education Summit held in November in Johannesburg, and it is launching several new projects in 2010.
These include:
Inspiring a Generation – a mentorship programme for 7 theatre makers in Cape Town and Johannesburg to encourage them to make the highest quality work for children and young people. We are looking for international festivals who are willing to invite one practitioner to attend their festival, and are willing to contribute accommodation, living expenses and tickets. In return the practitioner will deliver a workshop, free of charge, or can be used as a volunteer on the festival in question. Each practitioner has a local mentor and engages in regular activities with the whole group, but we are also keen to develop international mentors who may come to SA for a short period to do workshops or other engagements, or who will engage in internet-based discussions. We would also like the Next generations programme to engage with Inspiring a generation (SA).
ITEC – a programme to increase the interaction between theatre and education, to train theatre practitioners across SA to engage better with schools and to find ways to make their products more worthwhile for schools to take on, as well as creating a nationwide database which can be used by schools and theatre practitioners, along the lines of ArtStarts in Canada. This project is funded by the National Arts Council.
Out the Box Family festival – this festival, a UNIMA SA project, now has a family festival component which this year will have 20 productions curated by Assitej SA. Four international productions (Sweden, Brazil, Zambia, Canada), and productions from various parts of South Africa will each get four performances over a 10 day festival at the Baxter theatre and the Hiddingh Hall theatre complex.
We are also running several holiday programmes for children – one attached to a cultural village in a township in Cape Town, and the other which is called Fair Play, and is connected to the Soccer world cup. It will be presented in the inner city environment in Johannesburg.
We are working with Magnet theatre and the Cape Town Holocaust Centre towards the performance of a children’s opera, “Brundibar” in 2011, and this may form the basis for the development of a Cape Town Youth Company.
We will continue to support members with their fundraising efforts, with skills development and with touring of their productions. In 2009, some of the members we supported included Yawazzi’s Under the Stars and Above the Trees, which toured to Rwanda in December 2009, The Crossing and the Bicycle Thief, (which is touring to the USA in October 2010), Jungle Theatre Company’s Indlovu People, MORE Theatre’s Snake Magic, Fresco Theatre’s The Famished Road and various other such projects. We produced a successful tour of Irish theatre company, TEAM’s production of Devotion to South Africa in September and held several forums on theatre and education for our members. In September 2009 we hosted Dan Baron Cohen from IDEA, who ran Transformance workshops with 20 Cape Town based theatre practitioners. We have plans for several international practitioners to run workshops with our members through 2010.
Assitej SA also worked with the National Arts Festival on a project called The Remix Laboratory, which exposed 65 young practitioners to development in the arts, over the period of the NAF in June/July 09. This project will be expanded in 2010.
20 March 2010 – Assitej International World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People: this will be celebrated in both Cape Town and Johannesburg again. We also hope to have some events in other parts of the country.
ASSITEJ SWAZILAND: Maswati Dludlu
In Swaziland there was no ministry of Arts and culture; now the new government has established Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture. Hoping for more recognition from Minister.
Activities: partnership with UNICEF – main funder; haven’t done anything concrete with them because of change in their programming;
Partnership with messages on social economic rights
HIV campaign – Lusweti (working together with Soul City): invisible theatre in buses; 24 routes to service throughout country;
In partnership with national children’s co-ordinating unit, govt unit working for development of children’s activities;
Policies/ laws, around children’s rights – especially on Day of African Child;
National Emergency Council Board on Hiv-Aids: develop speaking books; develop messages around what books were saying, for addressing HIV-Aids
Networking with other theatre stakeholders;
Actress from Assitej is a motivational speaker in meetings, lobbying government to recognise theatre as development entity in society; no venues for theatre practitioners; good motivation to encourage theatre practitioners and government.
Popular theatre festival: Bushfire festival, run by private company – beneficiaries are people who are vulnerable; multi-disciplinary kind of festival; recorded about 15 000 people in attendance at festival; challenge is to put theatre on the map there; Assitej Swaziland was invited to send “one love” messages to this festival.
International networking: tried to take production to FATEJ, but did not work out due to funding problem (only 3 out of 5 cast members funded to travel to festival).
Happy with networking with South Africa – Out the Box festival participation, level of creativity very high; companies from all over the world were there;
Working with quite a few Zimbabweans – inspiration to form centre came from Zimbabwe; came up with a play called “Never a Comrade” written, directed and performed by Zimbabweans – Assitej Swaziland produced the play
Dibumba festival in Bulawayo – festival for dance; took a theatre piece to the festival; Multi-disciplinary festival in Bulawayo – 3 participants (2 from Assitej Swaziland) rehearsed a production to perform
Participate in Algerian festival
Administration challenges: our connection with UNICEF means that people assume we get funding; we have other organisations trying to emulate what we are doing, who are not part of SWATCYP. Need to restructure as a network and perhaps do the co-ordination and allow these other companies to operate. Need to involve other theatre companies in training and workshops in collaborative projects.
ASSITEJ TANZANIA
No delegate and no report.
ASSITEJ UGANDA:
Institute of Performing Arts just outside city; curated by Niclas when he was Sec-Gen; it is functioning – has had some ups and downs; but is active in many areas; meetings were done systematically and the records of these meetings are there;
Participated in international events; for e.g. Representatives from Assitej Uganda have been in Okinawa at Kijimuna Festa as visitors;
Workshop for music, dance teachers – created a nucleus of people who are doing most of our work in training and working with grassroot communities;
That group has gone to international festivals, e.g. Swedish Biannual, but need to balance the gender representation;
Rwanda/Uganda participants in Kigali – Uganda was very selective in who should participate, and these individuals came away very energised. Puppet theatre is a new innovation in Uganda and there is a lot of interest. Jackson is also an ITI representative.
Running some projects – dealing with schools, purpose of organising theatre festival for children in March 2010; copy of project proposal here; various schools around Kampala before expanding to other areas; regional festival rather than national (not sufficient budget, so narrowed it down) – Coca Cola is current sponsor; hope that this project will attract a lot of participation;
Announcing a new project – movie/film focus – not well selected for children; want to venture into designing Ugandan film projects for children; from there maybe they will come back to the stage;
Officially launched on Thursday 8 October, Kampala, National Theatre;
Went to the States for research…
Concentrated themselves on the ground, working with community – small schools in rural areas;
New Generation theatre programme after Adelaide congress- Daniel Settaba headed up team, Roots Africa, to work with communities;
Theatre companies – 3 categories – individual members, theatre companies - Brain theatre company, Combined Talents Company, Viva Victoria! theatre company in Entebbe (visited Sweden to perform, twinning of city in Sweden and Entebbe); people who are interested, but may not be performers; going to set up film village on 10 acre land – patrons as a partner.
Assitej Uganda has done a lot in area of lobbying for theatre for children and young people; invited to sectoral committees in government and has created a passage for our programme; music, dance and drama will now be included in school syllabus as a result of lobbying from Assitej Uganda.
Julius Lagaaya: introduced us to Theatre Factory – based at National Theatre, Kampala; used to go to schools 6-10 year olds; there has been a ban on all theatre companies performing in schools; Jackson had to lobby for work in schools, to be appropriate and high quality
ASSITEJ ZAMBIA
This report covers the period January to September 2009, and focuses on the events that have taken place in Zambia through the Zambian centre of ASSITEJ. Some of the programmes that should have taken place have not taken place, but that is mostly due to some financial constraints.
The report will also highlight some of the events planned for the future.
Past activities
1. January to February: This period is usually the time we urge members to renew their membership and also the time we recruit new members. We managed to recruit a few new members around the country.
2. March: The main event during this month is the commemoration of the World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People on 20th March. The event was as usual celebrated in several parts of Zambia by members of the centre.
3. May to August: During this period the various provincial centres of ASSITEJ Zambia were able to hold provincial theatre festivals with a view to preparing for the national theatre festival to be held at the end of September.
4. July: One of our member schools, Rhodes Park School, organized three workshops on drama in education which was conducted with partners from Slovenia. The workshops were held with school children – one at a private school (Rhodes Park) and another at a community-owned school (Ng’ombe PTA), while the third was at a government school for disabled children. The three workshops were highly successful, and our members greatly benefited from the events.
Earlier, four of our members from Rhodes Park School travelled to Slovenia where they made presentations at a similar workshop on drama in education. The exchange is part of an ongoing project.
5. During this period we have however had to dissolve one provincial committee (in the Central Province) because of lack of activity and seriousness with the work and programmes of the centre. We have since tasked some members of the National Executive Committee based in the province to take over the work, at least until we are able to put in place a new committee.
6. During the same six month period we have been able, through funding from the Embassy of Finland in Lusaka, to purchase more office equipment for our secretariat, including a laminating machine and a document binding machine. The equipment, along with the photocopier in the office, is used in part to fundraise for the centre and pay our Administrative Officer, who runs the office on a day-to-day basis.
Future activities
1. The national theatre festival will be held at the end of September, and will be used to select the overall winners of the various awards we have under the Jacaranda Awards, a creation of ASSITEJ Zambia.
2. Later in the year, or early next year, depending on when the funds will be available, we shall host the annual Jacaranda Awards ceremony, at which our members are awarded for their hard work in the past year.
3. In December, Rhodes Park School will represent ASSITEJ Zambia at the annual Children’s Performing Arts Festival in New Delhi, India. The event is attended by thousands of children and youths from around the world and involves performances in various fields of the arts, including theatre.
4. In January 2010, Libala School of Livingstone will represent us at a similar festival in Dubai.
5. In the first half of 2010, all provincial centres are expected to hold elections to choose provincial committee members. This is in preparation for the National Executive Committee elections to be held later next year. I hope we can then choose a new president of the centre to take over from me so that I concentrate on other things.
6. ASSITEJ Zambia is working on having a workshop with Robert Sjoblom of Sweden on a project called ‘I AM’, which involves working with children. The project has been done in Sweden and some other parts of the world and is intended to help children build their self-esteem.
Conclusion
ASSITEJ Zambia has had its own problems, like any other centre, but these are mostly due to financial constraints which make it difficult to carry out some programmes. However, we hope to acquire some more funds for use in our programmes next year. It has been a particularly difficult year, but we are hopeful that things will eventually work for the betterment of the centre.
ASSITEJ ZIMBABWE
2008 was a difficult year; We had 17 centres throughout the whole country – working to revive them. They are progressing slowly and looking for funding. ZATCYP is now re-registered through National Arts Council and is taking time to normalise operations. Trying to rebuild visibility after there was a general loss of hope in the country and in the association.
National festival/ international festivals – ZATCYP is no longer holding these, but will do so again in the future…
Annual celebration on Day of African Child – organised jointly with Ministry of Youth development; trying to lobby the ministry to support youth initiatives; trying to re-establish ourselves to become visible; helped members on their play night – involved in making that event a success;
All schools are now on register of Zimbabwe Assitej, which is a massive achievement. But teachers
on strike, and there is nothing going on in schools. Waiting for situation to normalise.
Edutainment – they commission setworks for plays; schools pay small amount – tour to all provinces
Zimbabwe Alive festival: children performing for children or adults performing for children (August 2010). Looking for companies from ACYTA members;
HIFA festival –sending groups to HIFA (Harare International Festival of Arts);
ZATCYP has same executive as before – Robert, Ralph not reachable; Nananga, Masenda, Malales, teachers – Kabasa; (9 individuals)
They plan to network with CHIPAWO, and with Josh Nyapimbi of Nhimbe Arts Development Trust