We Stand for Freedom dance piece created by South African and Ukraine artists, puts spotlight on role of art in war situations
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
Art in war situations has always played a crucial role throughout history, ranging from motivating soldiers at the frontline of wars or cynically used as a propaganda tool.
Whether you agree or not about using art this way is not the issue here. The issue though is that it always plays a central role in wars for conquests or for freedom. Here at home, we have seen how musicians such as Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Jonas Gwangwa, Dorothy Masuka (all late), went to exile to create music unhindered, that gave the apartheid rulers of the time an uncomfortable sleep and hence banned some of their songs from being played on the public broadcaster.
Yet others such as visual artists Dumile Feni and Thami Mnyeli for example, met a similar fate when they created visual representations of the wretched lives of the oppressed in South Africa.
We have also witnessed how playwrights such as Mbongeni Ngema, Athol Fugard, Barney Simon and Gibson Kente, fort example, similarly gave the enforcers of apartheid a headache when their plays got a warm reception at the Market Theatre for example. This further eked the apartheid enforcers who became so desperate that they secretly planted Special Branch members of the South African police onto theatre seats, pretending to be bona fide audience members. Their motive however was ulterior.
Contextually therefore, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is no exception as it has inevitably put a spotlight on the role of art in war situations.
At the moment as global fears keep on rising that Russia might be planning an offensive against Ukraine to mark the one year anniversary of the invasion of that country by the Kremlin, artists in South Africa are doing something about the situation.
The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation together with the Ukrainian Association of South Africa and NGO Resilient Ukraine are marking the first year of the Russian war on Ukraine with a dance performance titled We Stand for Freedom.
This 30-minute contemporary dance performance, created by Ukrainian choreographer Kateryna Aloshyna, is a space for live dialogue between the dancers and audience members. It unpacks thesimilarities in the Ukrainian and South African fight for freedom. Via digital technologies, the audience makes choices that shape the outcome of the artistic conversation. The piece also explores the humanitarian crisis and the impact of the war on women and children, and how solidarity can lead to a safer world for all.
“As young democracies, both South Africa and Ukraine share and retain a tangible connection to the idea of freedom and justice – ideals which we must never take for granted,” says Janet Jobson, CEO of the Tutu Legacy Foundation. She says, “The Arch reminded us often of the interconnectedness of all humanity – that ultimately our futures are fundamentally tied up in each other.”
“The art speaks simultaneously to the heads and hearts of every human. In the ‘We Stand for Freedom’ performance, the dialogue is between Ukrainians and South Africans as well as between dancers and the audience. We hope that this dialogue will result in actions that defend human rights and the searching for and building of peace,” explains Kateryna Aloshyna.
Those behind this production point at the following as the core values that are guiding them as they believe that Ukrainian and South African societies share freedom as a core values and therefore rationalise that Russian aggression against Ukraine has resulted in a humanitarian crisis that affects everyday life of ordinary South Africans. They further believe that that “human solidarity and international support are critical to stop the invasion and restore international governance and just peace in Ukraine”.
The performance will explore four blocks: the humanitarian crisis and the refugee children the impact of war on women and families the importance of freedom and the right to choose for societies, and how supporting values of freedom, human rights and democracy by the global community contributes to a safer society for all.
The opening night is a special, invitation-only evening, taking place on 23 February 2023. It includes a panel discussion following the performance, with participation from civil society representatives, and Janet Jobson (CEO of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation) and Kateryna Aloshyna (choreographer and president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa).
“When Russia contested the borders of a foreign sovereign country, it opened a Pandora’s Box,” says Nataliia Popovych, chairperson of NGO Resilient Ukraine. “The humanitarian consequences of such aggression are not confined to the millions of displaced people, or tens of thousands civilian deaths. They affect communities around the world and those most vulnerable suffer first. It is in the interest of both South Africans and Ukrainians to fight for the principles of democracy, which uphold the values of justice and human life.”
We Stand for Freedom is a joint effort between the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Ukrainian Association of South Africa and Resilient Ukraine.
Biographies of participants
The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
Founded in 2013, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation represents one of the world’s most iconic leaders and his life-long partner. The Foundation strives to ensure their uncompromised bravery is celebrated, communicated and curated for posterity.
Visit www.tutu.org.za
The Ukrainian Association of South Africa
Ukrainian Association of South Africa (NPO 189-705) is a collaborative association registered in May 2017 that promotes networks between Ukrainians and South Africans for mutual development, increased awareness and inner growth of individuals and societies. For more information www.uaza.co.za or info@uaza.co.za
Resilient Ukraine
Resilient Ukraine is a civil society organisation dedicated to future-proofing Ukraine and the world by enabling it to contribute as an equal among democratic nations towards securing lasting peace in Ukraine, Europe and globally by countering Russian war propaganda and disinformation by raising awareness about the war and developing creative content and messaging that helps to unite and inform Ukraine’s citizens and allies around the world.
Kateryna Aloshyna, choreographer
Ukrainian choreographer, director and co-founder of the Contemporary Dance Laboratory Kateryna Aloshyna likes to discover this world through the lens of dance. Born in Ukraine, Kateryna was trained as a ballerina and received a degree in choreography. She has over 15 years of experience teaching ballet and contemporary dancing and has spent the last five years in South Africa. Her recent works include:
The Forest interactive performance for children | 2021 South Africa.
Show me your Christmas poetry and dance performance | 2019 South Africa.
FENCE contemporary dance performance | 2019 South Africa, 2018 Ukraine.
Cecil Etc, music composer
Cecil Etcis an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. Born Deán de Klerk, he is classically trained but draws influences from all styles to create music that is eclectic, melodic, pensive and engaging.
Dancers:
Olwethu Sotiya
Sotiya is a dancer, performer, member and artistic director of Is’Thatha Dance Project, based in Nyanga. The project is a community based NPO that strives to promote local art and culture, by creating opportunities for the local, disadvantaged community. It gives a chance to young local talent to evolve, and find their feet and grow in this difficult world.
Bianca Carmen Schulz Poblete
Dancer, performer and co-founder of a creative performing arts company based in Cape Town called [Em]bodied Creatives, Poblete is passionate about the performing arts and devising theatre. She has an interest in dance, movement, theatre creation, choreography, film/stage acting, voice over/ radio work, and physical theatre.
Beth McLachlan-Evans
MchLachlan-Evans is a professional freelance dance performer in Cape Town focused on creativity, artistry and interdisciplinary performance art.
Ockert Prins
Prins is a dancer and actor, with a range of collaborations with Jazzart Dance Theatre. He has performed at Baxter Theatre and the Soweto Theatre. He is also a hip hop dance teacher at the Rebirth Dance Company.
Costumes: Natalka Klymenko, Cape Town/Ukraine
Decoration (props) by Oleksii Kovalenko, Cape Town/Ukraine
We Stand for Freedom will perform February 24 – 27 at the HCC Homecoming Centre (Corner Buitenkant St &, Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town, as fears rise that Russia might be planning an offensive against Ukraine as it marks one year anniversary of the invasion of its neighbour. The performance is open to the public, who can purchase tickets from Quicket.Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/207227-we-stand-for-freedom/ For more information click here : https://www.uaza.co.za/we-stand-for-freedom/