Africologne

The Theater im Bauturm in Cologne has been cooperating with the Festival Récréâtrales (Résidences Panafricaines d’écriture, de création et de recherches théâtrales) since 2010. The theatre festival in Ougadougou (Burkina Faso) presents world premieres and guest performances from countries across the African continent and is on its way to becoming the most important theatre biennial in Western Africa. The partners had agreed to a three-phased project to expand their artistic collaboration and build a sustainable network. The project began in June 2011 with the africologne festival featuring seven modern (West) African theatre productions, some of which have never been shown before in Europe or in German-speaking countries. In addition to these plays, which have been performed in French or Mooré (the official language of Burkina Faso), the project was organizing an accompanying programme with staged readings and discussions. In the second phase in 2012, a German-African team has overseen a co-production between the Bauturm and the Cie. Falinga and the Festival Récréâtrales which premiered both in Burkina Faso and Germany. The final phase in 2013 brought all the participants back to Cologne for the next africologne festival, where they evaluated their experience of intercultural cooperation.

Artistic directors: Gerhardt Haag and Etienne Minoungou (BF)
Artists: Sidiki Yongbaré (BF), Edoxie L. Gnonla (BF), Diendonné Niangouna (CD), Criss Niangouna (CD), Patrick Joseph (RH), Tutur 3 (André Erlen / Stefan Hikraft), Luzius Heydrich and others