BREAKFASTCLUB is a meeting with an artistic proposal and with each other at an unusual time. In that extraordinary energy, other ways of sharing, looking and experiencing become possible. Gouvernement’s concept combines artists’ presentation moments with a moderated public conversation about the thematics evoked by the works on show.
In the context of Africa is/in the Future, a yearly festival presented by La Bellone in various locations in Brussels to highlight the initiatives & artistic proposals of Black and Afro-descendant people/artists from the continent and diasporas, we put together a program on double consciousness.
“Double Consciousness”—a term introduced by W.E.B. Du Bois to describe the internal conflict experienced by marginalized groups in a society that imposes dominant narratives. In other words; the need to reconcile one’s identity with societal expectations while striving to maintain an authentic sense of self.
This conversation will delve into the challenges faced by black and afrodiasporic artists, who navigate the dual realities of being marginalized within broader societal structures and often find themselves further marginalized within their own artistic communities.
We will explore how these artists experience and navigate this “margin within a margin.” We will discuss the consequences of being confined to specific topics, the pressure to represent entire communities, and the impact of these constraints on their work, identity, and artistic development.
After an audio-poetic intervention from Nesindano Namises, whose work is deeply rooted in these questions, we’ll collectively make space for an extract of the echoing performance Movements of Soul by YAV.
All this will prompt a conversation, moderated by Eric Cyuzuzo and joined by dancers and choreographers Soa Ratsifandrihana and Oulouy.
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LOCATION
La Bellone, Brussels
DATE
9 November 2024 from 14.00
LANGUAGE
English
TICKETS
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BREAKFASTCLUB IS Vincent Focquet, Marie Umuhoza, Lauren Borremans en Nele Keukelier A PROJECT OF Gouvernement SUPPORT BY KAAP, VIERNULVIER, STUK, Campo, De Studio, het Theaterfestival, Rekto:Verso, Universiteit Gent en De Vlaamse Gemeenschap
Nesindano Namise
Nesindano Namise aka xamques performance poet and voice artist who delves into language, memory, and repatriation through spoken word and aural interpretations. With a background in community radio, she co-organized, with notable figures like late Oshosheni Hivelua, poetry performance movement, Spoken Word Namibia, using multilingual poetry to explore personal and collective stories. Her work spans solo performances, site-specifc projects like the Khoest, and cross-cultural collaborations such as Bose Frauen and The House Of Falling Bones/DHdhK. Their interest are in performative archiving and German colonial history and include projects with Flausen+, Africa Moment, and Akademie Schloss Solitude. Based in |Ai||gâms, Namibia. Also a member in Company Aïda Colmenero Dïaz.
Oulouy
Oulouy is one of the most notorious figures in the international scene of street dances. Born in Ivory Coast and based in Barcelona during the last decades, Oulouy combines his skills as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director with his educational activity, giving master classes around the world. His novel solo piece ‘Black’ (2020) – a reflection on violence and the emancipation of black bodies in contemporary societies, and ‘Afrikan Party’ (2022) – a futuristic ode to Africa accompanied by his international crew the Supa Rich Kids – have taken him to work in the world’s most prestigious venues, such as the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York, Bluma Appel in Toronto, Fabrik Potsdam in Germany, Dansens Hus in Norway, Suzanne Dellal Center, Mercat de les Flors , Teatre Principal de Palma, Journées Theatrales de Carthage, among others.
He is the founder and curator of the OYOFE International Festival dedicated to street dances. Oulouy undertakes a choreographic exercise where street dances of African and diasporic roots are at the center as a motor of contemporary stage creation, generating an open window of infinite possibilities for the next generations. In 2024, Oulouy was awarded the award for best choreography of the year at the Catalan Performing Arts Critics Awards for ‘Afrikan Party’, a choral work which, in addition, has been included in the choreographic archive from the New York Public Library.
Soa Ratsifandrihana
Soa Ratsifandrihana is a Franco-Malagasy dancer and choreographer based in Brussels. After dancing for several years with Rosas, Soa presented her first solo, g r oo v e, in Brussels. The show has been performed over forty times, including at the Kaaitheater, and continues to tour. Her work reminds us that our bodies, just like our words, are bearers of stories, and that however we communicate them, they must be told. Soa is an associate artist of Kaaitheater from 2023 to 2025.
YAV
Yav, originally from Congo, is a singer and songwriter, producer, movement artist and model. Throughout the years Yav has worked as a dancer with various choreographers in the contemporary dance field. Mid-2018 he started his career as a choreographer. YAV was featured as an artist for VOGUE, NL, I-D, GLAMCULT and NUMERO NETHERLANDS. In 2020 he was mentioned in the ‘NRC TOP 101 LIST’ upcoming talent in the category Dance.
Since mid-21 Yav started composing his own music for his own projects. Yav worked as a model with brands like Armani and Marc Jacobs. He also took part in BLACK IS KING, a film by Beyonce, as choreographer and dancer. Yav also worked as a movement director for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Daily Paper. August ’21 he premiered his latest performance work Movements of Soul. The work got selected for AEROWAVES ’24. Februari ’24 YAV launched his first single WHY. On 22nd of March YAV launched his EP ERUPTION.
Eric Cyuzuzo
Eric Cyuzuzo is a socio-cultural worker who programmes, commissions and produces multidisciplinary events (concerts & parties, conversations & presentations, screenings & exhibitions, participatory workshops) within Brussels cultural institutions, in permanent positions, usually for VK Concerts (@VKvaartkapoen, 2023-…) and Kunstenfestivaldesarts (@kunstenfestivaldesarts, 2019-…), or as a freelancer by invitation. In addition to his resolutely committed work within the cultural institutions that employ or invite him, Eric is also a creator of community socio-cultural spaces, involved in various grassroots platforms based in Brussels and Belgium, which seek to highlight the histories and experiences of Black and Afrodescendant people in their intersecting identities: he is currently general coordinator of Black History Month Belgium (@BHMbelgium, 2020-. …), as well as co-founder and coordinator of the Som-m-e Of Us collective (@somme.of.us, 2023-…). Heir to cultures that celebrate the art of oratory and driven by a love of sharing knowledge and experience in discussion settings, Eric is also a moderator, host, master of ceremonies, as well as a speaker and panellist on various topics and areas around his work and experiences.
