Credit: Clémence Passot et Pierre Tandille
FIQ! which translates as Wake up! is the new show from Moroccan performers Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger and will premiere as part of the celebrations for the ‘Season of African Cultures’ in France in 2020.
Staged by Maroussia Diaz Verbèke FIQ! will feature 15 acrobats, a Freestyle dancer and DJ Key. The group will work with Hassan Hajjaj a Moroccan artist and photographer responsible for scenography and costume design.
Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger was created by Sanae El Kamouni in 2003. Her idea was to work with acrobats from Tangier and produce something new. Her premise is simple; there is an acrobatic tradition in Morocco that has its own history and is unique. It is practised with the highest standards imaginable by numerous Moroccan troupes and families. However, no new shows are created by these artists who repeat the same numbers in the street and traditional circuses or on rare occasions when they are given work by the tourism or entertainment industries. At the heart of this group of performers is the legendary Hammich family, who have been performing worldwide for seven generations. Convinced that another story could be invented with these talented artists, Sanae El Kamouni instigated a different way of working. She has invited European theatre makers to go to Tangier to create contemporary productions, devised with the Moroccan acrobats. The first production, Taoub, directed by Aurélien Bory from France in 2004 has been performed worldwide. Its success brought public and professional visibility to the group. Chouf Ouchouf has also toured internationally and more recently Halka.
As an important part of her plan, Sanae El Kamouni has also formed the Association Scènes du Maroc, which specialises in developing cultural projects. Its aim is to make a significant contribution to the emergence of a new Moroccan culture, as well as supporting young Moroccan artists in projects both locally and internationally.
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