Nourishment for The Mind – Destination Cairo
If Lab 1 at Hawkwood was soul filling, this experience was more about fuelling energy for critical thinking and reflection! Very much a roller-coaster of emotion, but held and happy, sometimes feeling excited and energised and sometimes like a 10-year-old being presented with Disneyland tickets. There were some significant bumps and interesting moments along the way to do with accessibility and tiredness, but I did have the most epic time and massive thanks to my creative enabler team Jen and Dilys. Shout out needed to Dan and Nene for being the amazing organisers, the wider supporting network and my fellow fellowshipers.
Of course my starting image is of smiling artists in front of the sphynx and pyramids – we are almost all present in the photo and the structures are indeed mind blowing!
Yes, the spectacle of landing in Cairo and sleeping that close to the River Nile, being absorbed by a society in transition/community protesting against forced transition and experiencing theatre that is rich in the tapestry of Arab life seems like a highlight of my adult life. Yet, the headline of Hugh goes to Cairo is perhaps not the essence of what I aim for in this blog, or indeed my practise as a whole. The experience was brilliant and we met some beautiful people but a degree of ickiness followed me around. I don’t know if it was down to the carbon footprint conversation, taking a flight during a climate emergency or the wealth and access to the arts disparity that exists between Europe and the Middle East. Whatever it is, I will let it sit and leave it there as I either think it will take pages and pages to unpick and/or I don’t really know myself what I mean… well that was a hopeful and comprehensive start to a blog… Let’s try again, bear with:
The excitement and child-like energy of Heathrow was turbo-charged by seeing the Another Route gang at terminal 5. Yes, we were actually going to do this – brilliant. Wheelchairs and jumbo-jets don’t see eye to eye but, on the whole, the flight there went off without a hitch and once we were packed in like sardines (great metaphor and imagery there, wonder if it makes a good art piece one day…) the flight took off. I remember looking at the Egyptian bank notes and being impressed with the idea of showing monuments built by thousands of labourers rather than individual ‘celebrities’ whose stories leave a little bit to be desired, eg. UK bank notes.
This was the only time that I felt impressed by the choices made by people in power in Egypt, as it will be shared later. But for now, I think I will change style for the blog and write in third person-ish – focusing on people we were to meet and pieces we want to see. A step-by-step account can wait for the memoirs.
Captured by Jennifer Noice, a relatively quiet main road in Cairo with cars taking up all ‘lanes’ and people walking between vehicles going quite fast.
Very busy streets – the roads two, three, four, five, 5.5 lanes wide. Very little paint on the roads. An organic agreement with horns sounding every second – terrifying to us but organised chaos in motion. Landed in a night-time Cairo. All exhausted but excited. Eyes are like children’s staying up for fireworks. After a long baggage search, bundled into taxis which enter the hive of vehicles that never sleep… need to get used this and quick.
Captured by Jennifer Noice
A leisurely morning in an uncomfortably, comfortable hotel. We are that close to the river Nile – there it is – tamed but still a force of nature. Is that a crocodile, no, just a fallen branch, is that a crocodile, no a small barge – this joke continues. A stroll outside the hotel car barriers. Not as easy as you would think. Pavements, yes, any way of getting on to them, no. Even for the high jumper, a step is often needed. On the road it is then. A fortunate start with a quiet road – only about twenty cars a minute on this one! Later, we will be in the middle of a main roundabout holding our hands in a sort of wave gesture and hoping traffic will stop. It does – of sorts – the negotiations of space is a key part of culture here. Me and my electric powered wheelchair braced for a bumpy ride and for the most part conquer, with the help of feet on the back to achieve numerous wheelies. When we are defeated, I reject the support of battery power and turn to manual. A rickety old thing, but reliable and light - thank you to Mark Godber for being pushy … pushing an empty wheelchair around Cairo is a live performance he probably wasn’t expecting. When more hands are needed, both restaurant hosts and the Another Route gang chip in. Maybe the preference would be full mobility with electric powered wheelchair, but this means of accessibility is just as ‘rewarding’, in an all-for-one/one-for-all sort of ethos.
First member of the public met… A jolly bloke who ‘worked at the hotel and could show us the best place to be only five minutes’ this walk that way! Well, and about 40 mammoth curbs. We politely went on our own way and arrived on the bridge. Gentle breeze, light relief – Cairo in October was never ‘too hot’ but car fumes and pollution made the climate still. Back now to meet our amazing guide, Meena, a stage performer and passionate about culture and experimental performance. She knows Cairo – the built-up areas, Old Cairo, the informal complexes and the pathways in between.
Captured by Jemima Yong
Some recovery time, our first taste of communal Egyptian food, tasted amazing, and off to the theatre. A building converted with a bar, box office and a black box space, The Rawabet Art Space … I feel at home!
We sit, on slightly uncomfortable seats, in great expectations…
Anchoring [Egypt] Salma Salem: A body lying face down in the middle of the stage – it’s dark… No, my eyes adjust and they are sitting on the floor, breathing gently and preparing. Lights up and she is scrunched in a ball, wearing dark red with her body’s core strength visible. Slightly rhythmical but more leaning into struggle, she unravels. Lower back connected to the floor, nothing else, this goes on. It starts becoming painful to watch – physically, that is – emotionally engaging and captivating. Once unravelled, music changes to a kind of lifting melody. Her limbs might be on strings – or no, she might be floating through a current or falling through clouds. Her arms drift away and come back – one second mesmerising, next second a reminded of the strength, pain and uncomfortableness it takes to keep everything off the ground. Within her movements, she starts to turn on the spot, still barely touching the ground. The lights change angle but always a rectangle with her centre – a shield, a prison, a silo? This continues – feels impossible … I get the impression: I’m in control, this is back-breaking work but I’ve got this!
Then, shockingly, she hasn’t. Limbs smash against the floor and the music shifts to broken up, distorted, angry but not rage … more like unbearable brokenness? Her whole sense of being changes, nothing is in control to the perceived eye. It’s frantic and difficult to watch but we are with her – it almost looks like she is constantly dislocating, breaking, disconnected. An appropriation of mime, she reaches out but stops at an invisible barrier – this flows through the whole body – banging against an invisible wall – painfully. This continues until she collapses. Slowly rising up with a strong fist – we clap.
I feel my male gaze has been revealed, manipulated, exposed, shamed … this was a powerful piece and now we turn from contemporary dance to physical theatre – no real time to digest the work we’ve just seen.
Losing it [Palestinian] Samaa Wakim & Samar Haddad King: Now a figure balancing on a long, elasticated material stretching across the stage. She cowers in the corner and tries to cross this tightrope and keeps falling off. Chaotic sounds – a countdown – running in the air by balancing on the elastic. We never make it to zero. Definite plane sounds and bombs, bullets, horrible sounds. Is she running to the shelter? She hangs a limb over the elastic – shocking images of barbed wire and bodies spring to mind, all too vibrant. She takes up different positions. Look to stage left, a performer/lighting and sound operator is creating the soundscape with a mic alongside pre-recordings – powerful effect and relationship between body and narrative. The performer on stage finally completes the tightrope but falls terribly to the floor – no feeling of accomplishment. Soundscape shifts to birdsong, maybe a park, and then to a nightclub. The performer starts dancing, head banging and then fiercely move. The music, drum and base, blurs with bombs and bullets – she never seems to be able to escape the bombs in her head – I hope she will one day … we clap.
NO MERCY (Egypt) Nasa4Nasa: Tec seems to fail but two performers with long, claw-like nails wearing corsets and make-up repeat an almost algorithmic driven desire dance. Quite repulsive and quickly becomes repulsive. They end up in compromising positions – over-sexualised – objectification. Memories of human trafficking research come – this is difficult. Then the heavy metal beats begin. They put on terrifying clown masks with eyes popping out and waggling tongues. Strobe lightening begins – a warning of clown masks and strobe lighting was definitely lacking. The performers go crazy – very difficult to make out, as it is broken into images of light dark, light, dark. It stops and we clap, but the performance seems to want to continue. They reject their masks and wigs and set up a table full of fast food – chicken drumsticks, whipped cream, burgers etc
They eat and gorge. This begins to turn into a live art installation – we’re not ready for this. The stink becomes heavy and they continue heating.
We clap – some very enthusiastically, some politely – and that was only the first night …
Another Route Cairo lab schedule - other stuff happens too!
The next day at a bizarre and awkward conference. For and about Arab artists but Another Route people outnumbered Arab artists maybe 3 to 1 alone. The backstage crew and organisers were on it from minute 1 – a recurring theme throughout D-CAF. Yet the conference itself lacked. From the overuse of words like ‘enterprise’ and ‘monopolisation’ in a roomful of political performance artists, to an American speaker telling us to ‘just ignore the stares’… deeply fascinating to be there but for all the wrong reasons. Red tape, capitalism, bureaucracy, artists feeling really undervalued – disappointingly these themes are universal it would seem. Did meet cool people like Omran Maayta – Origami Master who went around making people’s favourite animals out of paper as a way of introduction.
Another round of conferencing – sigh – let’s get comfy. There were meaningful, powerful intervention mainly by local artists, about representation, resource and the small number of creative spaces – we all wondered why there wasn’t more local artist in the room. Overall, the event felt like a steppingstone, a necessary conversation but overarching feeling of, why are we still bogged down at this stage of basic access to the arts and culture – so much was said but so little was also allowed airtime.
Captured by Jemima Yong
More delicious food then off to the Falaki Theatre, a mid-size auditorium space which is accessible by a lift which works as the access to an apartment block – genius. From dusty Cario sheets teleport to a Spanish beer garden surrounded by hotel rooms, Egyptians and tourists lounging around. Baggage scanners in order to get to the lift – these are dotted around, and elsewhere a collection of body armour and guns: young lads ‘looking important’ – mostly laid back and part of the daily life. Almost in a suspension state, between violence from a past and preparation for something to come?
Tarakeeb (France/Egypt) Compagnie Hékau: A beautiful story, elegantly done. Shadow puppet mastered in front of your eyes – multiple canvas with theatre light shining on and hundreds of cut out figures and scenery. The story, a little bit difficult to follow, but the imagery and poetry of a simple but complex medium spoke a thousand words. Themes of immigration, loss, finding passion, guilt and tragedy. The technicians are performers, making rain happen by cardboard cut outs and skilful manipulation of light. Then, someone comes in front of the canvas and lights the shadow from in front – the scale is amazing, perfect mix of being lost in the moment and wondering how they do it. It ends with a moment of freeing and peace.
Captured by Jemima Yong
The next day, back at the conference. More truths both spoken out loud and felt in their absence. The atmosphere almost turns to mutiny when someone suggests international theatre must move entirely online. D-CAF’s artistic director, Ahmed El Attar calms things down by explaining that internet in Arab states is nowhere near being able to stream live work to 99% of audiences….is the conversation of moving online just another example how ‘the west’ leaves everyone else behind?
Now I can’t get out the building – maybe trapped in this limbo of repetitive and frustrating conversation… forever. A band has set up a stage on the only ramp out… and this is not even the surrealist part of the day! Finally, manhandled (150 kg of chair included) down a makeshift slope. Access accessibility achieved??
Out in the warm sun and there is a ginger haired white man playing jazz in the middle of Cairo. The blues ring out over an equally bizarre networking session – The Great Gatsby mix with an Equity conference and a lopping party. Then… waiting for it…. an appropriation of Punch & Judy lands on us – language difference but the violence, abuse, child equitation all wrapped up in a silly voice and colourful outfits is the same, exactly the same. I will wake up at some point. Lots of energise chatter in Arabic – they seem to lap it up, as a small headache begins just above my left eye.
Sarcasm out the way, I met some really cool people who I’m emailing at the moment, like Mulberry Tree: Inclusive Theatre.
Then relics of colonialism and toxic reminders of the damage Britain’s ruling cast has done, haven’t quite finished with us as I experienced the third piece of theatre within my lifetime, which I felt the need to exit before the end… but I do bear with it, it’s the least I can do in apology.
The Thatcher Effect: An entirely new kind of space – a garage or warehouse, very echoey and pillars everywhere. These did not help the performance and neither did the writing. I became distracted and thought of a clever line to describe this experience – I didn’t quite get it and then they started to talk in Arabic – No, not helpful. I got on board with the performance energy and emotion, I hated the fact they were giving a ‘balanced’ view of the ‘Thatcher Effect’…last night’s show was beautiful, I like the bit when the pigeons were set free.
The next day, the pyramid thing happened! A local guide repeating lines about these mind-blowing structures and determined to get across that slaves didn’t build the pyramids – it was well looked after and skilled labourers who worked devotedly on these shrines. A virtual lesson in treating the labour force well and with respect, pyramids can be built! They are magnificent – at times almost part of the sand, like they have been there forever, like mountains in their awesomeness – rising up, defying all odds. “Eventually they will disappear but we are doing everything we can to protect them” the guide tells us. We are on the edge of a dessert… bucket list achievement ticked off – the only eco-system expanding despite humans attempt to destroy Mother Nature – on the surface, the dessert is dead but know where you're looking, it’s rich in life.
Captured by Jemima Yong
We are now lost in a maze of streets – our minibus adding to the orchestra of horns. We haven’t been anywhere like here before. The smog lifts slightly and there is a cleanliness… or more like organisations of dust… that isn’t there in the built-up places. We have entered the informal part of the city – which makes up most of Cairo, it was just ‘hidden’ from us before. A city building simulator video-game springs to mind, districts have a grand strategy behind the development, but the individual plots seem . Each building is slightly different in height, some are terraced, but many detached. On foot now and workshops open out on the street – D.I.Y everywhere – people helping each other. Beautiful! Local kids swear at us – much laughter. Something between the swear being the only English they might know, showing off to the bigger lads and a deep fury within as they have forced upon them perpetuating narratives of being left behind, lack of opportunity and hegemonic understanding of ‘poverty’. One lad walks with us and we start chatting – sort of – lots of smiling and thumbs up. He helps me over bumps and points out the ramp they built! I didn’t get a name but can picture him as if we are still in the same street.
Captured by Jennifer Noice
Up the ramp now and into CLUSTER: ‘engages critical discourse while being grounded in professional practice, with an emphasis on participatory design processes’. Three academic, architect, artist/locally embedded people in this space. Led by Omar Nagati they give a speech on applied architect and environmental studies – my tired mind begins buzzing and tuning in – it feeds off everything they are saying – it is opened up, questioned and filled with possibilities. The time at cluster was over too soon.
Captured by Jemima Yong
Requires another blog, no a whole thesis, to unpack the brilliance of that session – in a space made out of borrowed material, homemade scaffolding and a D.I.Y second floor. They document protest through architect and visual arts… they map this with the seemingly random but organised application of the call to pair ritual…that pattern mirrors the layout of informal districts – where land is sold to everyday people and they build homes, adding a new layer as the family expands. This informal exchange bypasses the majority of government corruption, which is felt by many and the disillusionment seems etched on people’s faces. The government builds motorways round these neighbourhoods, as walls and fences would look bad even for a institution which has a growing number of political prisoners/journalists arrests, their fate for speaking-out very grim indeed.
Tension is in the air as one of the speakers look uncomfortable when their fellow is talking to us about the political situation, and the ongoing peaceful protest planning happening in response. Cairo 2.0 is being drawn up as we speak – a Dubai inspired city in the dessert… although inspiring to who is not an easy question to answer. Egypt seems to counteract perceived narratives – in ancient times, no evidence of slaves escaping after being forced to build the great pyramids versus the ruling class ‘escaping’ Cairo to build a luxury ‘paradise’ in the desert… I think the main conclusion from CLUSTER is things do need a radical re-think and Cairo 2.0 is not that!
(Important to say here, slavery was in practice throughout the Egyptian Empire and has been from antiquity, yet the masons, architects and builders of this wonders of the world were honoured both in life and death).
Captured by Jemima Yong
Untitled 14KM [Morocco] Younes Atbane: Back in the Fakai Theatre now and what a way to end our D-CAF theatre experience. Surreal, Dada, peculiar, ironic, truthful, dreamlike, meaningful and so much more. Presented by a museum collector, I think we are sought of inside his head and then sometimes inside the head of a fictional character and then maybe inside the head of an artefact being exhibited inside a made-up museum gallery, on the back of one-off conversation which is untitled. Deeply funny – unpicked a lot of the ickiness. A real, hard hitting, emotional moment where a actual human being in their capacity as a medium curator was murdered by religious extremists in their own exhibition and no one can figure whether the art could be cleaned after the murder, as it would damage the artwork. This powerful story was in amongst joke after joke after joke – brilliant! The piece spoke to wealth and privilege in arts, access and entitlement – it is all there on stage and we can’t or shouldn’t escape these conversations.
The piece mentioned an afterparty. The corruption and exclusive event where it is not the power of your imagination or skill of your craft… or your ability to create work for the latest trend but a ‘it’s who you know’ culture which dominates too many cultural structures.
And with life imitating art, that’s where we ended up – the last event of Lab 2. Hangovers with sad goodbyes saw our cohort bundled into a plane to fly back to the UK
Captured by Jemima Yong
The main reflection – a conclusion of sorts:
As individual strands of amazing experiences and learning opportunities: mentoring from Quarantine, conversations and support from Artsadmin, Forest Fringe, Total Theatre and the wider consortium, the lab experiences, producing and logistic support and the incredible potential of this 2 weeks residency/cultural exchange would all make for practise enhancing opportunities. If I came across any one of these in a newsletter, let’s say The Anchor, I would apply immediately but to have them all cumulating into one epic fellowship…a career step change to internationalising work is merely the iceberg tip of what I am achieving… I guess that’s another reason why this is titles Another Route