The second
edition of the Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITF) will be opening next
Thursday at Alliance Francaise, running through Sunday night.
But after the
first Festival ended up running on a ‘zero budget’ (apart from the GoDown Art
Centre covering the rental costs of Kenya National Theatre), it’s unlikely that
anyone other than the festival’s founder Kevin Kimani Kahuro would have thought
a second Theatre Fete was feasible this year.
But Kevin is
passionate about theatre. He’s also persistent, having what seems like a
prophetic perspective on what such a festival could mean to the future of
Kenyan theatre both in the region and in the world.
His vision
has been clear since 2013. It’s all about what he says is the need for Kenyan
thespians (like the ones he works most closely with at Kenyatta University) for
a wider, more expansive platform where the abundance of the country’s
theatrical talent can perform and shine. That vision is what led to his
dreaming up the Kenya International Theatre Festival.
Still a
student of theatre, a master’s degree candidate in KU’s Department of Theatre
and Film, Kevin explains that his insight came gradually, starting with the
feeling that he and his peers needed more exposure and more opportunities to perform
publically. So first, he managed to persuade his fellow KU students to enlist
in the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
“We didn’t
do very well that first year [2011] but we were much better prepared in 2012.
Thus, we won in every single category the following year,’ Kevin recalls.
Then when
2013 rolled around, KU thespians was keen on keeping up their momentum at the
Drama Festival. But this time round, they didn’t win in a single category,
which Kevin found bewildering.
That was
when it dawned on him that Kenyan thespians needed to expand their vision and
broaden their performance platform. In essence, he felt the Drama Festival was
just too small for Kenyan thespians, be they university-trained by
professionals like David Mulwa or the late Francis Imbuga or trained on the job
in theatre troupes like Heartstrings Entertainment or The Theatre Company.
Last year,
it was only the Ethiopian National Theatre Troupe that managed to attend the
first KIT festival. But Kevin and the KU casts who also took part in the fete
found the ‘international’ exchange both enlightening and entertaining. “Fortunately,
the Ethiopians were able to get their Kenya-based embassy to cover the cost of
their transport,” Kevin says, admitting he was hard-pressed to cover the costs
of the troupes’ accommodation.
This year,
KU and KITF are cooperating with UNESCO’s Kenya National Commission to bring
three international theatre troupes to Kenya where they’ll take part in the
four-day festival.
The three
are coming from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Uganda. The Black Ice Dance Company
from Uganda will perform November 16 during the official opening of the
Festival.
The
following night, the Hurungue Arts Festival from Zimbabwe will stage the play
entitled ‘Caged’ all about corruption. And on Saturday night, the Zika Theatre
Movement from South Africa will perform ‘Devil’s Disciple’.
In addition
to the three African troupes performing, there will be a number of productions
staged by mainly KU student thespians. They’ll perform plays like Francis
Imbuga’s ‘The Successor’ and Ole Rotimi’s ‘Our Husband has gone Mad Again’,
among others.
But the
first two days of the Festival will embrace a conference whose theme is ‘Linking
Academia and Practice’. It’s a concern that is shared by both UNESCO and the
Festival organizers as well as by KU.
Through a
series of exploratory talks, the Festival will address issues related to
linkages between Kenyan university theatre programs and public theatrical
practitioners, which currently don’t seem to exist. Why that chasm exists
between the academics and the public practitioners and how it can be bridged
will open up discussions that will hopefully bear fruit and also strengthen
Kenya’s theatre scene in days to come.
Speakers at
the Conference will include Dr John Muguti, Dean of KU’s School of Creative
Arts, Dr Emmanuel Shikuku, Chairman of KU’s Department of Film and Theatre
Arts, Ian Mbugua, Millicent Ogutu and yours truly.
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