TIMBUKTU IS BACK!

Performing Arts from African Sahel

Dance, Performance, Film

3 – 9 April 2019, HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin

African Sahel has over a short period of time turned into an extremely complex region, where religion, political terrorism and the arts play a role. It presents an immense challenge to both heads of states and the populations, who advocated for democracy but now see their endeavours shrink due to this new scourge.

In Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and other countries of this region, a whole generation of artists take on themes like freedom of speech, human rights, the fight against fundamentalism and the culture of peace. The Islamic movements, the widespread illegal trade and the unstable governments are therefore often focal points for choreographies and theatre plays.

Born after the independence and standing between Western education and their Islamic origin, these artists resist feeling caught in this state of affairs, rather they engage, through their art, in order to contribute to the development of their countries and their continent, and to offer a ambiguous, contemporary African culture. As activists their creations bring another form of expression, supporting political and civic maturation.

Timbuktu Is Back! is a project for artistic encounters that promotes the exchange of ideas between the Sahel countries and Germany. Focus is on the creative work of formative choreographers such as Salia Sanou, Nadia Beugré and Serge Aimé Coulibaly, working in countries where the integrity is threatened by terrorism. The festival is also a platform for reflexion on the creative process of these choreographers and playwrights, on the connection between creativity and social engagement, as well as identity building, social development and, ultimately, peacekeeping.

Curated by Alex Moussa Sawadogo

Timbuktu Is Back! Performing Arts from African Sahel is a project by Kulturbrauerei e.V. in cooperation with HAU Hebbel am Ufer.
Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
With kind support from Institut Français, the French Ministry for Culture/DGCA and the Embassy of Burkina Faso.