contacting the world
Contacting the World
Barefeet has been chosen to participate in a pioneering international theatre exchange for young people from around the world - but before the performers get the chance to represent Africa they need your help.
Barefeet will be the sole representatives from the African continent.
Flying a group of 15 performers to England… and then on to Ireland… for a series of performances costs a lot of Zambian kwachas. So many that it would be vulgar to write the amount.
And although Barefeet and friends have been exhausting ourselves dreaming up fundraising activities and carrying them out on top of teaching, rehearsals and everything else that goes into running a theatre company and project for street children we are still far short of our target.
For those who don’t know: Contacting the World (CTW) is a biannual event held in England and featuring performances from 12 theatre companies from around the world.
The groups have been collaborating in pairs in the months leading up to the festival and Barefeet has been twinned with The Other Side of the Mirror from Gdansk in Poland.
The aim of CTW is to promote understanding and respect between young people from different backgrounds and in March a representative from the Polish company came to Zambia to meet their counterparts. Later that month Barefeet’s Tobias Tembo made a reciprocal visit and also travelled to England and Ireland to finalise plans ahead of the summer performances and workshops.
Fifteen Barefeet members between the ages of 15 and 25 will represent Africa at the prestigious event alongside artists from Nepal, India, Germany, the US, Brazil and Palestine.
The groups draw inspiration from each other over the course of the year and each develops a unique piece of theatre which they perform at the festival.The companies also host and attend workshops which are open to the public and everyone enjoys several days of debate and showcases.
.
By the time the festival has ended the companies will have been working together for almost one year and will be part of an expanding network of theatre makers collaborating around the world.
This year Contacting the World will be co-hosted by Liverpool as part of its European Capital of Culture celebrations and sees six European companies twinned with six international companies. It runs from July 27-August 2 at venues across the city.
After Barefeet has performed to adoring UK audiences it’s off across the Irish Sea to Ireland to find out what all the fuss is about.
The group will take to the stage at several venues in the north, including Coleraine (Riverside Theatre), Derry and Belfast, giving Irish audiences the chance to see the magic of Barefeet.
If you would like to fulfil Barefeet’s dream of performing for its friends in Britain and Ireland please feel free to donate as much or as little as you like. (visit www.adamstravels.com) and find donate link.
For more information on CTW visit www.contact-theatre.org
