Sara Dziri's Residency in Tunis : Black Hole project
From 15 to 24 June 2024
L'Art Rue
Concept & direction: Sara Dziri
Performance: Sara Dziri & Yasmina Tayoub
Choreography: Yasmina Tayoub
Music: Sara Dziri
Light design & scenography: Arnaud De Wolf
Costumes: Kenza Taleb
Dramaturgy & choreography assistance: Mohamed Toukabri
Production: Kunstenwerkplaats
Coproduction: deSingel, Kanal - Centre Pompidou, Beursschouwburg, C-Takt, L'Art Rue
With the support of the Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation
Thanks to: KAAP, de Brakke Grond, Goethe Institut Cairo
With the support of Vlaamse overheid & Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie
DJ Sara Dziri, will be in Tunis from June 15 to 24 for a first phase of residency, to develop her research for her next project Black Hole.
With Black Hole, Sara Dziri, together with dancer-choreographer Yasmina Tayoub, bridges the gap between rave culture and contemporary dance, between electronic music and North African trance tradition, between ravers and the rest of the world.
They look at the phenomenon of trance and rave from their own cultural heritage. The central question: how can rave become a survival method for people who are tired of living in a society where they are not accepted for who they are?
During a work visit to Cairo (EG), Sara was inspired by the zār, an ancient healing trance tradition centered around women who do not fit into the conventional mold and find community with each other. A zār is led by a woman who, through singing, dancing, and music, searches for the origin of someone's struggle. Under the guidance of repetitive music, they seek healing together.
Sara saw strong similarities with the underground rave culture that emerged in New York City in the 1980s as a result of the Stonewall riots. Community, healing, and connection through dance and music, far from the eyes of societal and political condemnation. She quickly realized that her idea for Black Hole needed more than just the medium of music.