PARAPHERNALIA in Cape Town

PARAPHERNALIA, our quirky visual theatre show is finally in Cape Town! 

Come and share the magic from 16 to 21 April 2011 at the New Africa Theatre, in Sybrand Park.

This show was developed in 2008 and has grown from its original ideas into an 'endearing' and 'innovative' production that has inspired audiences at the National Arts Festival two years in a row.

Directed by Jacqueline van Meygaarden and co-created with Daniel Robinson and Andrea van Meygaarden. The latest incarnation of the show showcases the mask design of Jesse Kramer and Liesel Reddeck, and has Nadia Caldera (now Woodward) in the new role.

Tickets are R50 and R35 for block bookings. 

To book, contact Tahirih Cook on 084 873 4711 or tahirih.cook@gmail.com

Post midnight serenades in rural Madagascar

An excerpt from Stephen's diary:

Its just after 1:30 am 12th August, in a small Malagasy village village called Befingotra in the Andapa region of northeast Madagascar. we are far away from any infrastructure, cut off by a mud pit they call a road, a high mountain pass, and a full day's walk and drive to the nearest town. This village is the starting point for excursions into the remote Anjanaharibe Sud special reserve, and we are camped in the yard of somebody's home.

Tomorrow we will hike around the area and interview the villagers for a documentary film we are shooting.

I’m woken in my tent by the sad and gentle singing of a man in prayer. The man told our guide before we set up our tents that he hoped he would not disturb us with his praying late at night. I have no idea what his beautifully sung words mean in the local Malagasy dialect of Tsimihety, yet they gently pierce the Nylon Fabric of my tent in a soothing, melodic and sad voice that awake something deep inside me. I am touched, and I am afraid that the meaning of the songs, if I could understand them would lose the magic of the music that transcends the words they contain.

My mind is filled with thoughts in this still, starry night, being here in this extraordinary country, and feeling compelled to capture our journey on film. This seems all very sentimental as I write it, yet I’m certain that a tale that has not been told in our human history wants to be told. The unsaid wants to be exclaimed, it is now ripe for the picking and it wants to be shared with those who are listening. I am drawn to be the picker of that fruit, through words, and through images on film.

My thoughts turn to people. Mosesy, our dedicated guide, a man of huge integrity and inspiration in his own right, and our soft-spoken driver Fabrisse, accompanied by his smiling young son, Milandro, the suave and talkative Faustin, and the porters and others giving so generously of their time to assist us in our mission. These people, and the places, and our own journey are conspiring in a mysterious way, and preparing us for the message that will move the hearts and minds of all those who come into contact with it. I personally feel humbled to be the conveyor of this message, one that I do not fully understand myself, yet I have the certainty that it exists.

The images and the opportunities that have presented themselves to us in the past few weeks up until now have been aplenty. We have discovered something that for us is unique, and it remains to be seen whether the inspiration exists in the other regions we will be visiting, or even beyond this country to others. Chances are this inspiration has existed for millennia, but I am only seeing it now.

So what is this mysterious and magical message that Jacqueline and I feel so compelled to share? Perhaps it’s something to do with the interconnectedness and love between human beings of vastly different cultures and ancestry, or that a country classified as being one of the poorest can be prosperous in so many ways? Or maybe, it’s the friendly smile that adorns the face of every person we have met, the lack of urgency, the abundance of productivity, the warmth, love, authenticity and accepting nature that many of them have as attributes. People alive with possibilities, desiring a preservation of their lush and fertile environment, seeking beneficial collaboration with the rest of the world; humble and perhaps unable to see their own greatness, and until now free of the clutches of desire for technological advances and monetary wealth. Already there exists abundance here; of knowledge, of agricultural subsistence; community support, preservation of resources for future generations and; respect for humanity.

My sense is that this abundance is not new. It has been passed down through many generations. Madagascar is a place that has embraced the diversity of its ancestry – the blend of African and Asian roots, and perhaps it is the unity of spirit that speaks volumes, and which these evening prayers have chosen to awaken within me. Who was this stranger that was sent to sing to me, like a child being sung to sleep by a loving parent. Who sent me this stranger to sing such beautiful and moving melodies in a language that I thought I could not understand…?

Stephen

Voices from the Red Island – A documentary film

Cosmos Productions has been recently granted funds by the NGO, Conservation International to make a documentary film that will give a voice to the local people of Madagascar. So we’re going back 1 year later, in August 2010!

On this project, I am collaborating with Stephen Davis (my husband) to create Voices from the Red Island, a social and environmental documentary film that captures how social and environmental issues intersect at critical points on the beautiful and fragile island of Madagascar.

Some info about the film….

The indigenous, rural people of Madagascar live in close connection to their natural environment. Their livelihoods depend on the natural world and inherently the forests and biodiversity of ‘the Red Island’ – the name coming from the colour of her fertile soil. With the current plundering of rainforests of rare hardwoods, (after a political coup that happened in February 2009 that left the country with weak rule of law), coupled with the devastation of 90% of the country’s forests for agriculture and charcoal through slash and burn practices, this natural environment is dwindling at a rapid rate. People living on the periphery of the forests are putting more and more pressure on Madagascar’s parks and reserves. At the same time, the local rural people experience climate changes and seasonal shifts that are happening on a global scale, as real problems. Cyclones are more intense, dry and rainy seasons are too short or too long, and crop yields are lower or entirely destroyed by extreme weather events.

For these people, climate change is already a reality, although they may not know how to name the phenomenon, they are increasingly realizing that the changes are not just an environmental issue, but also one with severe socioeconomic implications. It is a potential threat to their very existence and a major issue of human rights and equity.

This film aims to give a voice to these people.

We feel that at the interface of environmental destruction and climate change impacts, personal stories as testimonies of the adversities of climate change will move the hearts and minds of people in developed countries to redress the differences in ability to adapt and respond to the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation. Voices from the Red Island will demonstrate the interconnectedness of the human race; of actions, consequences and accountability.

So stay connected to our blog as we’ll be bringing you more updated info as we progress!

Jacqueline

Theatre for Change Fundraiser

DON'T FORGET OUR...

THEATRE FOR CHANGE F U N D R A I S E R - this Friday 4 June-6:30 pm

Price : R 120 or R 75

Join us for the full evening of entertainment which starts with a Cape Malay Dinner at 6.30pm (vegetarian also available) - R120. Or join us at 8pm, skip the dinner and catch an extract from our show Paraphernalia, music by African acoustic pop artist Ian Henderson and poetry performance by Mbali Vilakazi. We'll also have a performance by stand-up comedian Sivuyile 'SIV' Ngesi and music later in the evening by Mighty and Mogale.

Nicholas Ellenbogen will host a talent auction, where you can bid for great talents such a Macrobiotic cooking class, a sailing trip, a drumming workshop for 20 people, restaurant vouchers, a surf lesson and much more.

Daniel

Not only am I a producer and performer for Theatre for Change, but I work for Project 90 by 2030, our main partner organisation. Since last year I took on the role as the Project 90 Cape Town Clubs Coordinator. I've been involved in creating and teaming up with clubs in 10 schools to create a network of core clubs in Cape Town. Our aim is help each school reduce their carbon footprint by 10% each year. We also have club hubs which are not part of the core club network but use the framework to create clubs in schools and organisations nationwide.

The best thing about working for Project 90 and being a theatre creator, is that i've been able to merge my interests and passions together to create work I truly enjoy. The idea for Theatre for Change was born last year when a friend and colleague, Robert Zipplies, embarked on a 'Crazy Ass' journey across the country from Cape Town to Durban on an electric bike to help raise awareness about Climate Change, aptly called the Cycle Challenge 2009. Andrea and I joined Rob on his epic journey and saw the value in taking a climate change themed theatre show on tour around schools in the Eastern and Western Cape. Six months later, a outstanding team comprising of Cosmos Productions, Project 90 by 2030 and a highly skilled intern from France, are taking Paraphernalia and Joyce's Choices on a 20 day tour. Shap!

Jacqueline

Theatre maker; filmmaker; puppeteer; environmental activist, hiker and lover of fruit! I created Cosmos Productions to make a space for my (and other collaborators) dream theatre projects come alive. Also the co-producer and director of Parapahernalia and Joyce's Choices, our two shows heading off on tour in June 2010.

Cosmos Productions

All this blogging and sharing info and putting ourselves out into the public sphere is exciting and pretty daunting at the same time!

So now: we have a website for Cosmos, thanks to Celia, our intern from France, and now Cosmos will keep you updated on our Theatre for Change tour on this blog, and you can join our facebook group.

But that’s what we’re all about, keeping you informed and updated with new ways of thinking.

We create stimulating theatre and video projects that make you think. Think about your actions, think about the future, and think about what world you’d like to live in.

We create visual theatre using puppetry and object manipulation that tells stories about what we’re doing to the planet, how heavy our footprint is, and also possible (creative scenarios!) of the future with all the climatic changes.

Our video projects currently in development also deal with similar issues. The Voices of the Vulnerable series is a series of short films that give a voice to vulnerable communities in Southern Africa who are impacted by climate change. We have already made films about a Rooibos community in the Northern Cape, villagers in Madagascar and a community in in Kwazulu Natal.

So stay tuned to our blog for updates on all projects coming out of our fold.

Cape Town Edge

Cape Town Edge stands for : comedy, drama, visual theatre, physical theatre, satire, musical journey, spoken words, performance poetry....The cutting edge of theatre from the Western Cape.

We will perform with the Cape Town Edge 2010, along with 9 other independent theatre companies based in Cape Town. The idea is to combine resources, share expertise, save on costs etc for all shows traveling to the mother of all theatre festival in South Africa – the National Arts Festival.

CT edge is about theatre companies working together. And having more visibility to build a relationship with our audiences.

We will be on the Cape Town Edge at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown from the 29 june to 3 July 2010. Catch us at Princess Alice Hall everyday at 6pm.

Bring your wooly warm stuff….! We’ll serve Amarula and wine courtesy of Distell.

Celia

Guess who I am?

No I'm not a new performer for Cosmos Productions or a new director who wants to take Jacqueline's place. When I left France (yes I'm french) to go to South Africa, I didn't know a lot about theatre but I’m learning quickly. This is essential to perform my job properly. So you could ask what do I do for Cosmos Productions??? I'm willing to tell you... but not yet.

Do you speak French? Because it easier to explain what I do in my original language. Ok, maybe I shouldn't because I came here to learn English and be in an internship ( first clue ). So I'm a new intern in Cosmos Productions, but I don't know a lot of things about visual theatre and video production...

So reader I'm ready to tell you the solution.....

You are reading this new blog...and I’ve created this blog.

Have you seen the new website of the company? (see the website)...

I created this website. So my speciality... Communication and marketing.

Follow us?

Why a blog?

Welcome to our new blog! Here is where we create a simple link between you and us.

A place where you can follow us, speak about us and know all about what we do and we plan on doing. Basically a good place to keep in touch.

So here you can write comments, look at pictures of our show, of people we like, and also read a few articles about us. But a blog it's not only that. We write, you comment.... allowing for us to build a relationship.

This is the essence of a blog.

So Hello and a big welcome to Cosmos Productions's blog.