European Union takes theatre to Cameroonian streets.

The Italian Ambassador to Cameroon, His Excellency Filippo Scammacca Del Murgo, who mounted the rostrum to uncover what “Njangui, ensemble!” is all about, said it is a unique and an innovative theatre project.

He said it is designed with the intention to promote artistic exchange between Cameroon and European artists. 

“By organising meetings and performances, this project aims to raise public awareness of local and global issues through theatrical performances in the public space,” Filippo said.

Therefore, the first round of performances beginning today, September 23, will take the dramatists to Ebolowa. The team will be in Douala on September 25. Yaounde will be honoured with two performances fixed for September 26 and 27.

What Njangui connotes

According to the highflying Europeans, Njangui is a Cameroonian tradition symbolising togetherness and celebration. 

It embodies solidarity through sharing: whether in times of mourning, in farms or in financial savings; practices that highlight the importance of community life and why members of a given community need to strive to live by the prevailing tenets.

The added key word, “Ensemble”, reflects the desire of the Europeans to encourage cross cultural communication. 

For which reason, they are using the project to invite Cameroonians and European cultures to find a meeting point; and in the meeting, share their riches, and co-create works that celebrate their respective identities.

Apart from striving to promote cultural exchange between Cameroonian and European artists, “Njangui Ensemble”, is an initiative that also aims to encourage mutual understanding of local and global issues through in-depth dialogue. 

It also intends to make art accessible to all and encourage public participation; and boost the EU National Institute for Culture, EUNIC, Cameroon cluster through concrete collaboration between European and Cameroonian players.

Project implementation

As concerns implementation of the project, the press kit shared with journalists showed that there are two components.

The first, christened “forum for professional exchange and artistic production” will last for eight days. 

During this period, 20 participants from various countries including Cameroon, Germany, France and Italy will feature. 

The artists will discuss their practices, followed by a creative workshop with a view to furthering theatrical interventions in the public space based on the various themes covered by the central theme, “Njangui”.

The second component, that involves public presentations over a period of four days, will see artists descending into streets of the designated towns to showcase their talents. 

The organisers stated that markets, junctions, roundabouts and public squares of the towns shortlisted should be ready to welcome these dramatists. 

The ultimate hope being the opportunity for the artists, through the performances, to be able to interact directly with a varied audience.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3238 of Monday September 23, 2024