Empatheatre part of a cross continental collaboration
Empatheatre were thrilled to have been a part of this cross continental collaboration, project and publication which launched on Monday the 9th August in both South Africa and the UK.
Early in 2021, four participants from Oudtshoorn, a town in the Klein Karoo area of South Africa’s Western Cape, and four from Moston and Salford Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom, embarked on a virtual four-part online journey to listen, share, and learn from each other’s stories in a series of stimulating online workshops and conversations.
This project was made possible by the British Council’s Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies Programme (DICE). SICK! Festival, the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Young Identity and Empatheatre. The online sessions were presented in April and May. The digital experiences and workshops were facilitated by SA’s Tshego Khutsoane and the UK’s Shirley and Nicole May, using processes and methods inspired by their own collaborative theatre and performance backgrounds.
The common thread and theme that has been emerging across the two continents in the discussions is ‘Inherited Resilience’.
The poems in the resulting (maga)zine map that journey, celebrate their individual and shared experience, chart their generosity and creativity, and archive a sacred connection.
The talented participants were: Glenisha Tarentaal(SA), Joan Turner (UK), Olive Oragui (UK), P.A. Bitez (UK), Shandré Harris (SA), Siyasanga Building (SA), Tiffany Saterdaght (SA), Faidat Ope (UK) and Medulla (UK)
Lebogang Mashile, well-known South African poet and Kadijah Ibrahim, celebrated British poet were guest speakers and inspired the group even further during one of the digital sessions.
The (maga)zine and video will be available on www.kknk.co.za from the 9th of August. Experience the powerful poems and stories by tuning in on National Women’s Day (SA) and National Book Lovers Day (UK) for powerful messages of resilience.
