Meinau’s Rokayas is a reading conceived and coordinated by Noufissa Kabbou -singer and musician, for “La Fête des Peuples” (Festival of Nations) of la Meinau district on January 14 2018 in Strasbourg, France. Some women of the district wrote poems about their vision of the African marriage. This performance is part of Play>Urban research program from HEAR (higher education School in Visual Arts) in Strasbourg.
This scenography, created in collaboration with Lucie EUZET and Clara WALTER, is built out of recycled materials. These panels -like screens, hide or highlight readers depending on their ease to be on stage. The assembly of all these panels recreates Africa’s map.
Early into the show, several writing and screen making workshops were held with the women of the neighborhood.
Readers: Firdaws ARAHOUAN, Kawtar ARAHOUAN, Siham BELKHADIR, Raja BEN BELGACEM, Wafa BEN BELGACEM, Aïcha CHAHBA, Naïma EL KHIHALE, Roselie GAESSLER, Emna HARBI, Gisèle KIHOULOU, Wilma MAGNOUNGOU, Évelyne MAYETELA, Naïma MOHIB and Antoinette NSABANA
Musicians: Atta TIHAM, (guitar), Emmanuel SIMULA (guitar), Jean Noël ROHE (bass) and Noufissa KABBOU (singing, percussion)
Thanks to Espoir association (Hope association) and workshop participants early in the show, women of l’Éveil Meinau (Awakening Meinau), thanks to Khady NIANG and Lyse YANGUE
Thanks to Odile MONTALVO, Claude HECKEL and Vincent LEPORT of Comité des Peuples (Peoples Committee)