PORTFOLIO OF WORK

Theatre for socio-political change | good governance| new writing

SHORT TEXTS

Come Freedom Come– Short text by Smith Likongwe - a compelling contemporary story of an opposition MP under siege at his house on the day of tabling an important bill in parliament. Presented as part of the International short text project in Oslo, and at the International Workshop Festival in London. September 2006

Fridom – by Jon Fosse, tells a bitter-sweet romantic tale of what happens when a woman comes back to a man she left some time ago.The story looks at the way men deal with the concept of ‘freedom’ in relation to women. Presented as part of the International short text project in Oslo, and at the International Workshop Festival in London. September 2006

DEVISED WORK

Playing with Food – A provocative award winning multi-media theatre production about the 2002 food crisis – in which, the people reclaim the story and the link between democracy and famine fiercely satirized. This was part of Nanzikambe’s pioneering “Plating With Food in Theatre for decision makers” July 2004 – March 2005

Eating to Live a collaboration with South AfricanShoestring Theatre of the WINWIN group telling a story of commercial manipulation from rural Malawi – a man defends his sale of family resources to a private trader. Jan – April 2004

ChillyHeart co-devised physical-theatre piece. A thriller that analyses the power mechanisms in Malawi. September 2003

Garden of Plenty a cross-cultural and artistic exchange between university students

Theatre Laboratory

An experimental project to further raise theatre industry standards in the country, and create a new entertainment show for the Malawian public. Through this project, performers will be encouraged to become more engaged, self-reliant and more confident in instigating new ideas which they can develop and see through to performance stage.

Re-inventing European or Classical play texts for the African Context

Breaking The Pot : A re-invention of Ibsen’s A Dolls House: written through collaboration by Norwegian and Malawian writer/dramatists – toured nationally and tbo Grahamstown Festival. Funded by the Norwegian Embassy

Adaptation of St Exupery’s The Little Prince – a physical theatre piece, set to Ismael Lo’s music, supported by the French Cultural Centre and Loita Bank

African Dream – adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Loita Bank

Adaptation of Feydoux’s Farce, A Flea in Her Ear,supportedby the French Cultural Centre and BATA shoes.

Macbeth - British Council funded, adaptation and large-scale sell-out national tour of Shakespeare's classic, integrating Malawi's top popular musicians: African Macbeth toured Malawi and to Zimbabwe.

Adaptation and national tour of Shakespeare's classic, Hamlet, fusingtraditional dance and music forms.

Save the children - HIV and AIDS

Nanzikambe is working with the network of NGOs that carry out awareness activities andservice provision for Save the Children. Specific project officers utilising local drama groups for message delivery have been trained in using theatre-based methodologies for research, communication and behaviour change interventions.

Democracy Parade |14th of June 2006

Nanzikambe organized a spectacular street carnival in commemoration of this year’s Freedom day. This was a first of its kind event that drew many local artists and various members of the civil society and the public to celebrate and honour the ideals of democracy and its values in a peaceful, vibrant and entertaining street party.

Training Development Practioners -

Nanzikambe is currently creating the radio series message content, and accompanying interactive development workshops as well as providing creative project support for the UNICEF Sara Communication Initiative.

Capacity Building – training in educational theatre

Working in partnership with the Khamalathu Disability Organisation, we have provided assistance in proposal writing, script development, performance and message delivery for their ongoing community drama programme on the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

TISANKHENJI Radio programme

The Sara radio programme, known as Tisankhenji? (What should we choose?) emerged from Malawi Bridge Project’s determination to curb the prevalent levels of unwanted pregnancies, early marriage, school push-out and poor family life education, child labor which exposes them to various kinds of abuse like sexual abuse and exploitation and risky sexual initiation rites among girls in Malawi. On issues relating to HIV/AIDS Malawi BRIDGE thought the project would greatly improve the low levels of risk perception, self-efficacy and prevention knowledge among girls.

Malawi Bridge Project

Nanzikambe was contracted by the Johns Hopkins MalawiBridge Project to provide edutainment services at Three (3) National Youth Congresses through the months of July and August of 2005.

Forum Theatre Workshop

Forum workshop: having intellectually taken in the experience of the characters in the story and their circumstances, the ‘spectator’ is now transformed in to ‘actor’. From feeling emotions whilst passively watching the story unfold, the audience is asked to launch in to action, to take part in the crisis, and try to resolve it.