African Forum for Social Theatre
A Dream
Most of the greatest affairs start of as a simple dream. It might be an individual’s dream or a group’s dream, or it could even be an unplanned intersection of various dreams that once belonged to individuals that were never meant to meet.
This is how the African Forum for Social Theatre Project started. The dream started in 2016 through unplanned meetings that focused on the reciprocation of these dreams, and reinforced the common points in them. Thus, it climbed its first steps in Casablanca in 2017 through The African Forum for Social Theatre where doers from six foundations gathered from Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau. In order to discuss one important point which is “what is the future of Social Theatre in the continent? What will it offer to our societies?”
Since then, the communication between these foundations, that was based upon arts and culture, existed till 2019. The project even took the next steps of the shared dream, and was chosen in The North African Cultural Program that was launched by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).
Partnership
The African Forum for Social Theatre Project is the fruit of a direct partnership between Guerrara Association for Arts and Cultures (Morocco), Les Artivistes (Tunisia), and ElMadina Foundation for Performing and Digital Arts (Egypt).
They were all looking forward to meeting as much as possible from the recommendations of the 2017 forum that aimed to establish an organizational form that works on the continuity of the Theatrical forms that get their essence from the society and its variants. In other words, to study a society through keeping up with it, to push it forward and to work on developing it to a better society.
Dynamics
The African Forum for Social Theatre Project is considered a vast universe for interlacing, publishing, creativity, and formation of ways that can be followed to create an Artistic Network characterized by solidarity. Therefore, this network works on spreading the social theatre as a way of expression and development of artistic skills. It also allows the citizens to participate in an artistic and cultural experience, believing that it is one of their basic rights. As well as highlighting the importance of the Social Theatre in Africa to achieve a modern society able to communicate and coexist.
Road
The African Forum for Social Theatre Project works as a space that pursues through horizontal, intersectional and socialist dynamism that restore North Africa’s natural environment by connecting it with the rest of the continent through various activities.
As meeting spaces will be created for exchange, cooperation, and peer to peer education. In addition to focusing on the needs of each foundation. These meeting spaces will offer invitations to numerous representatives from foundations on the continent level. As well as creating a safe platform for free expression for the artists’ advocacy and to keep up with the decision makers.
Appraisal of the African culture and cultural work through connecting its north with its south through a vast network of relationships. Moreover, it will support and strengthen the artistic, political and social fields of research and studies through the issuance of shared research and studies about the Social Theatre.