Acoli Cultural Revival Organization 16

Being the day before the East Acoli Cultural Revival two day Gala, there is a great deal of set up and preparation happening at the venue, Padibe Girls Primary School. Although it is called a Girls school, it has actually been coed since the end of the war. It was chosen because of the nice grounds and it has a large brick enclose around the whole compound. There is plenty of room for the exhibition stalls and all the performance activity also. Many people from all over the district will be coming tonight by truck, bicycle, and walking to get set up and ready for the two day festival.

The first technical rehearsal for the collaborative drama.

One of the presentations is a Collaborative Drama that was developed by myself and a group of people over here. It began with eight workshops where myself and a group of eight local people devised a 40 minute drama based on an Acoli family’s story. It was a good enough start to have us continue working on the structure and then develop an actual script over the past three years. In first presentation all the dialogue was improvised in their language by the actors.  It is an attempt to bring combine western dramatic structure with respectful use of traditional Acoli culture in order to honor the values of each.

Notice the backdrop which was designed by an artist in Padibe and painted in by the scenic artist at First Stage, Amy Larink, in Milwaukee.

The backdrop was developed from fifteen scenes from the typical Acoli life sketched by a local Padibe artist and painted by Amy Larkin, the Scenic Artist at First Stage in Milwaukee. It made its way to Africa in my suitcase.

Two of the actors are bringing materials to make one of the props.

The last three photos are of the first technical rehearsal of the Collaborative Drama and behind the moorcycle they are bringing in materials for one of the props.

This is the first time there has been any kind of major Cultural Revival presentation in East Acoli. Up to today this kind of activity has only happened in Gulu, which is really the only city in the North, is the center of the Northern Uganda’s activity, and is considered West Acoli. The Padibe festival is a wonderful achievement from a lot of work by the people in the ACRO organization and with a little help from the Global Solidarity Committee at Three Holy Women Parish, Milwaukee.