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BODY MOVES International Inclusive Dance Festival (13+)

International Collaboration to Shine at 2024 BODY MOVES Inclusive Dance Festival

Sibikwa Arts Centre proudly announces the much-anticipated 2024 edition of the BODY MOVES International Inclusive Dance Festival, taking place  at various venues  in Gauteng and the Western Cape from November.

This year’s festival breaks new ground with an exciting collaboration between South Africa and the United Kingdom, featuring Mark Smith Productions and Very Easy Productions.

Presented in partnership with the Market Theatre and Unmute Dance Company, the festival will travel across Gauteng and the Western Cape, offering audiences an unforgettable experience

For the first time, the 2024 festival adopts a unique format, focusing on an artistic residency, a performance tour, and a series of interactive workshops and discussions.

Sibikwa is thrilled to host the UK’s renowned deaf dancer and choreographer, Mark Smith, for a 2-week residency to create a new work, SYNERGY 2.0, with an inclusive dance ensemble from South Africa. The residency will culminate in performances of the newly devised work, presented alongside SYNERGY, a piece performed by a UK-SA inclusive ensemble. 

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The 2 pieces in conversation with each other, explore the impact of climate change on Deaf and disabled communities. Another highlight of the festival is Bells & Sirens 2, a dynamic reimagining of the original Bells and Sirens, commissioned by Sibikwa in 2023. This piece, supported by the Global Disability Innovation Hub’s UK aid funded AT2030 programme, choreographed by Thapelo Kotlolo and performed by Jabu Vilakazi and Keaoleboga Seodigeng, examines the vibrant yet precarious world of queer club culture, and the tension between the freedom of nightlife and societal constraints on identity and expression.

Performance Dates and Venues:

  • Sibikwa Arts Centre, Benoni: 21 & 22 November at 11h00, followed by post-performance discussions. Tickets may be purchased on Quicket for adults at R100, and for under 18’s at R50, with group discounts available.
  • Market Theatre, Johannesburg: 24 November at 15h00. Tickets are available on Webtickets for general entry at R100.
  • Unmute ArtsAbility Festival, Cape Town: 26 November – 7 December.

The festival will also offer inclusive dance workshops for carers and youth, led by celebrated dancers, choreographers and facilitators Gladys Aghulas, Gaby Saranouffi, and Teresa Phuti Mojela, at Afrika Tikkun Centres in Gauteng and the Western Cape, and at Sibikwa Arts Centre.

Workshops with carers will explore the relationship between self-care and caregiving through movement, providing tools to create supportive environments for people of all abilities. Youth-focused workshops will address themes of climate change and the marginalization of people with disabilities, using dance to encourage creative expression and reflection on social and environmental justice.

Workshop Dates and Venues:

  • Arika Tikkun Diepsloot Centre: 6 November
  • Afrika Tikkun Alexandra Centre: 7 November
  • Afrika Tikkun Orange Farm Centre: 12 November
  • Afrika Tikkun Braamfontein Centre: 14 November
  • Sibikwa Arts Centre, Benoni: 21 & 22 November at 09h30, free entry
  • Afrika Tikkun Emfuleni Centre: 2 December

Additionally, an important dialogue on dance and disability, presented in collaboration with the African Dance and Disability Network, will take place during the ArtsAbility Festival.

Stay updated on performance schedules, ticketing information, and details about the online dialogue through the Sibikwa Arts Centre and partner websites and social media.

Sibikwa’s BODY MOVES International Inclusive Dance Festival in 2024 is made possible through the generous support of the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, the Gauteng Sports Council, the Federation of Gauteng Community Arts Centres, and the National Arts Council. Further support is provided by Arts Council England, Without Walls, Bird College, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Greenwich + Docklands International Festival.

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The BUZ Hive

Bridget van Oerle

bridget@thebuzhive.co.za / media@thebuzhive.co.za

083266991

For further information at Sibikwa contact Caryn Green at caryn@sibikwa.co.za or 011 422 4359 / 082 783 2035.