This talk is part of Afrovibes Festival, taking place at De Balie on 12 October, featuring a performance and talk.
This year’s festival has a special focus on artists from North-Africa and the North-African diaspora. North-African countries are often not considered African, but seen as Arabic countries. How do artists from North-African descent or from the North-African diaspora express their identity in art? What is their sense of belonging? And how do they relate to ‘Black’ culture?
“When I see a picture or representation of the African continent, such as on jewellery or in/on artistic works, the depiction is usually of a single continent. The North is not cut off. That would be ridiculous. Yet in political, academic and other analyses of Africa, the North is somehow removed from the continent, and this is not considered ridiculous.
Nuunja Khaina in This is Africa
About the speakers
Khadija Al Mourabit is a philosopher, poet and public speaker. She works as a professor at Leiden University. She is an Amazight of Moroccan descent. In 2017, the documentary Le Voyage de Khadija was released in which Khadija goes back to her home village Beni Chikar to reconcile with her past and origins.
Hamdi Didri is a Tunesian choreographer. He began his career as a hip-hop dancer in the streets of Tunis and then joined the Sybel Ballet Theatre Company. For his performances in which he explores Arabic culture, he finds inspiration from his childhood and adolescence.
Amira al Rawi is a dancer and theater maker. In the Arabic language ‘rawi’ means storyteller and that is exactly what Amira does with her work. Amira started her dance career in the hiphop scene, but developed an authentic style influenced by Voguing, Waaching, House and Breakdance. Next year she will explore the dance vocabulary of the Flamenco, focusing on Arabic and African cultural influences.
Afrovibes Performance
Following the talk you can visit the solo dance performance Act(s) and Sweats of the Tunisian choreographer Hamdi Dridi (see below). You can buy a combi ticket to visit both the talk and performance.
Speakers
