In Between / Underneath climate cracks

‘In Between’ sheds light on the experiences of women at different stages of life and reflects on their processes of physical, psychological and spiritual transformation, as well as the challenges they face in socio-political contexts,

which are often shaped by prescribed norms.

The significance of this work lies in its ability to evoke memories of the transition from childhood to adulthood and to denounce the socio-cultural constraints that limit the freedom of women whose ideas and experiences do not conform to established norms.

This work emerged from personal reflections on care, protection and the female life cycle, and was developed with the support of the ‘Immersion’ programme run by the Compagnie Mathilde Monnier and the ‘pair’ programme (a programme for international artists); it has already been presented at the Kinani Festival in Mozambique and at the Constellation Festival in France.

Michael Gagawala Kaddu: Underneath climate cracks

My mother, Esther Meeme Nalubanda, comes from a long line of rainmakers. I remember, when I was still small, how she would perform rituals to stop or bring about the rain. As I grew older, she gradually lost faith in these rituals and eventually stopped practising them. And when she stopped, my childhood came to an end.

This interdisciplinary performance explores the role of rituals in the relationship between humans and the environment.

With the gradual disappearance of the tradition of rainmaking and other traditional customs across Africa, there is also a risk of losing the wealth of deeply rooted ecological knowledge.

This piece draws on this understanding of natural systems, developed over generations and expressed through a multifaceted blend of dance, song and ritual, and explores how people can use this embodied knowledge to forge a more mindful and urgent connection with the environment today.