Africa in Soltitude

Since 1990 the Akademie Schloss Solitude has supported over 1,000 young artists in the fields of architecture, fine arts, performing arts, design, literature, music/sound and video/film/new media, and in so doing, has built up a worldwide network of artists. With its special programme “Africa in Solitude”, the academy aimed to increase the rather small percentage of scholarship recipients from African countries on a permanent basis and strengthen the network between artists and institutions from the local scenes. The programme granted six-month work and residence scholarships to theatre, performance and dance artists who live and work in Africa. The project offered the scholarship holders a specially developed accompanying programme, which includes on-the-job training, workshops and festival visits.
For this purpose Akademie Schloss Solitude initiated cooperations with diverse festivals in Germany to give the selected fellows the possibility to participate as guests or spectators. The following festivals were official partners of "Africa in Solitude": Theater der Welt in Mannheim, Ostcamp Project in Darmstadt and Ruhrtriennale in Essen.

Following a joint working process lasting several months, the four scholarship recipients Marwen Abouda, Desiré Davids, Dorine Mokha and Hector Thami Manekehla presented their performance “No There Yes Maybe Here”. The show explored the (national) boundaries and possibilities of mobility. What does this mean for their work as freelance artists? Who has the power to allow or deny access? With their performance, the group scrutinised the complex construct of economics and politics, negotiation and regulation, verification and confirmation. “No There Yes Maybe Here” was produced in cooperation with the Schauspiel Stuttgart.

During the application and selection process, the academy was advised by a panel comprised of the following experts: Andrea Ouamba (SN), Boysie Zekwana (ZA), Hafiz Dhaou (TN), Rokia Traoré (ML), Studio Kabako (CD), Christophe Wavelet (BE) and Virginie Dupray (CD/FR).

The jury selected the following fellows among 18 nominees: Marwen Abouda, Tunisia; Désiré Davids, South Africa; Dorine Mokha, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Hector Thami Manekehla, South Africa

A project by the Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart in cooperation with Les Studios Kabako, Kisangani (CD)

Schedule:

June – November 2014 Scholarship recipients’ visit to Solitude

Participation at Festivals and Workshops 2014:
June 4–9 Theater der Welt, Mannheim
July 5 Solitude Night, Akademie Schloss Solitude, with performances
August 2–12 Osthang Project, International Summer Course for New Music, Darmstadt
August 28–September 2 Ruhrtriennale, Essen
October 6–12 Workshop with Studios Kabako and Faustin Linyekula, Akademie Schloss Solitude

November 14 Performance evening, NORD, offspace of the of the Staatstheater Stuttgart