‘Filigrane’, the second project of the Compagnie du Fil involving puppetry supported by the Prince Claus Fund is meant to strengthen the already gained knowledge and techniques (papier mâché and shadow theatre) and is a completion of the previous workshops in 2006 and 2007.
A residency workshop based on these and new techniques will be held from 4 May to 2 June 2008. The participants are ten puppeteers from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Niger, who will create new spectacles with a maximum of two actors/puppeteers. They have sent in a text with which they want to work. During the workshop the texts will be adapted and rewritten.
The creation of the spectacles will be monitored by two theatre directors who will use their experience and stage greater sensibility at the service of the puppetters and will thus improve the quality of the productions. "Filigrane" also plans to serve as step up to diffusion of puppet shows in Africa. The four productions that will derive from the residency will be proposed to structures that can help in this way.
A tour is planned in Niger, Festival Bejini-Bejini siégeant in Niamey, the only festival in West Africa that is dedicated entirely to puppetry. In Burkina Faso the shows will be performed in Ouagadougou and in Bobo-Dioulasso, in private spaces in both cities and in the French Cultural centers. The Algerian participation in the residency, will allow them to find openings to North Africa , where practices not well known to West Africa are used. In Algeria there is a department of UNIMA (Centre National de l’Union Internationale de la Marionnette)(Algérie) and the project "Filigrane" can thus be a springboard for action outside Africa, an opportunity to look beyond through different networks. Each group will return to their country with a new accomplished show that can tour autonomously and professionally, without high costs.
The project’s objectives are to: Train African professional puppeteers, stimulate the production of high quality small presentations in the countries that are represented in the workshop; Generate a greater interest in puppetry in Africa; contribute to the production of 4 plays; present the new plays in Ouagadougou and in Niger; stimulate exchanges between puppeteers from North and West Africa, and stimulate regional and international mobility of African artists.
The team includes: Athanase KABRE, actor, pupetteer, stage director and artistic director of La Compagnie du Fil and President of the ’UNIMA-Burkina Faso. Member of the bureau Fédération nationale du Théâtre in Burkina Faso (FENATHEB); Hubert Emmanuel KAGAMBEGA, actor and stage director of la Compagnie Marbayassa. Trainer of storytelling workshops, actor, director and writer and Luis MARQUES, actor, stage director, co founder of la compagnie Ymako Teatri and the Festival des Arts de la Rue (FAR) in Grand Bassam in Ivory Coast, mise en scène of the opening ceremony of the World Cup Football 2002 in Mali . founder of la Cie l’Oeil Du Cyclone.
Diffusion shows (tour)
Burkina Faso 29 May to 5 June
- Espace Le Cartel / Ouagadougou
- Espace Culturel Napam Beogo, Ouaga
- CCF Georges Méliès, Ouaga
- Centre Siraba / Bobo-Dioulasso
- CCF Henri Matisse, Bobo
- Centre Djeliya, Bobo
- Espace Dafra, Bobo
Niger (04 groups + administrator + General Director)
NIGER : From 13-21 juin 2008
Festival « Bejini-Bejini »
- CCFN Zinder
- CCFN Niamey
- Other places
In Filigrane new spectacles will be created with a maximum of two actors/puppeteers
Performance shadow puppetry
Workshop Compagnie du Fil shadow puppetry
Innovative cultural activities and initiatives of individuals and organisations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are initiated and supported by the Prince Claus Fund. These creative processes lead to artistic productions in the realm of theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, audio-visual art and design.
