CHOMBOTROPE by the Jitta Collective (since 2017)

Production MOUVOIR e.V. Germany & Tuchangamke Group, Kenya. In coproduction with Akademie der Künste der Welt / Köln in the frame of PLURIVERSALE VII, tanzhaus nrw, Nairobi Festival of Performance and Media Arts – NFPMA and Goethe Institut – Internationaler Koproduktionsfonds.The Jitta Collective// Stephanie Thiersch & Kefa Oiro The African-European Collective is making an attempt at rethinking the legacy of cultural appropriation: through the pointed and personal practice of self-empowerment. Together we are celebrating the mash-up idea and taking it to the extreme: Beatboxing and spoken word, drums and turntables, fashion, contemporary dance and voguing unite to create a mix of futuristic identities that are echoed in a fashion concert. With African symbols or patterns having long since established themselves in the “Western” fashion world, we propose a playfully subversive change of perspective. Tradition and stolen cultural goods are intertwined, distorted, bundled, and geared towards the future. New narratives emerge: threateningly and confusingly originlessly: loud and uncopyrighted – guaranteed. Dance Award Cologne 2018 THEATERTREFFEN 2018 CAST Project-initiation & idea: Kefa Oiro, Stephanie Thiersch Concept: The Jitta Collective Artists: Dj Elephant Power (alias Nicolas Baudoux) – music composition, turntablism, Belgium Marie Zoe – voguing, singing, choreography, Germany Alexandra Naudet – dance, performance, choreography, France Dodo NKishi – music composition, drums, beatboxing/singing, Germany Kefa Oiro – dance, choreography, concept, Kenya Georgian Leo Melody - dance, choreography, voguing N’deye Seck – music composition, drums, Senegal Stephanie Thiersch – direction, choreography, text, Germany Xenson (alias Ssamson Ssenkaaba) – art, fashiondesign, poetry, Uganda Musical support: Checkmate Mido alias Mido Dembebe, Kenya and Judith Namacheke Bwire, Kenya (Berlin/Düsseldorf), artzone dancers (Nairobi) Dramaturgy/Scientific Support: Alexandra Karentzos Mode & Ästhetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt CREDITS Cooperation partner freihandelszone – Ensemblenetzwerk Köln, GoDownArtsCenter, Nairobi. Funded by: Kunststiftung NRW, NATIONALES PERFORMANCE NETZ (NPN) Koproduktionsförderung Tanz aus Mitteln der Beauftragten der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kulturamt der Stadt Köln.