14/10/08-25/10/08 COPYRIGHT: OFF THE HOOK PRODUCTION CC

[BRIDGE THE GAP CULTURAL EXCHANGE FEAT. KWANI EXPERIENCE ( S.A & NORWAY)]
[Bridge The Gap is an Exchange program between artists from South Africa &
Norway, the program seeks to merge different cultural expression, genres, workshops, collaborative performances and rehearsals. This cultural exchange is coordinated by OFF THE HOOK PRODUCTION CC in S.A. in partnership with NORDIC BLACK THEATRE in Norway, funded by MMINO]

1.) PREPARATION & PLANNING We arrived on the 15 October 2008 in Oslo, Norway with Kwani Experience the music band from South Africa. We went to MS INVIK as they were hosting us during the exchange programme between Off the Hook & Nordic Black Theatre. On the 16 October 2008 we had an Orientation meeting with the Nordic team, we went through the programme and discussed briefly about what will be happening throughout the exchange. The aim of the meeting was for everyone to meet each other and also make sure that we were all on the same level of understanding regarding the objective of the Bridge The Gap project. 1.) REHERSALS The band rehearsed in a small room on the lower deck of MS INNVIK, the rehearsal room was available to the band most the times, but only up to 11pm and except when there were other programs taking place on the main stage. The band used the room to prepare for the performance and jam with each other and other musicians they met. 2.) PERFORMANCES The band had three main performances, the 1st performance was on the 16 October 2008 at 21h00 at Dattera Til Hagen. The concert was co-ordinated by Oslo Global Music. We went to the venue and the band did a sound check 17h00. The event started at 8pm with Dj Bright Eyes warming up the crowd. Kwani Experience started their performance at 21h00. The band was well received by the audience in spite of a few technical problems that we experienced regarding sound engineer. The sound engineer was not familiar with the P.A System and Backline hence this had a negative impact on the sound. However, with Kwani Experience being such a experienced band this couldnt spoil the performance. They still managed to perform well, the band was very powerful and received very well by the audience.

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KWANI EXPERIENCE ROCKIN IT LIVE @ OSLO GLABAL MUSIC

The 2nd performance was on the 17 October 2008 at MS Innvik. On this day, Kwani Experience rehearsed throughout the day and later in the afternoon they had a sound check. The concert was a co-production between MS Innvik and Film From South, a film festival screening movies from Asia, Latin America and Africa. By that day, Kwani Experiences reputation had grown in Oslo and the concert hall was fully packed with an enthusiastic audience waiting for the band to take the stage. The atmosphere was really good and Kwani Experience did another great concert. 3.) MEETINGS & VISITS The 18 October 2008 was not hectic. We went to watch a dance performance called Heritage at the Opera House. This was a production by Nordic Black Theatre. Later in the afternoon we attended a screening of the documentary from the last Afrikan History Week (AHW) festival which was held in Oslo in May 2008. We were invited to meet some of the organizers of the festival and some of the people from their network. It was very interesting for us to learn more about the African community in Norway and how they organize one of their annual cultural events. AHW has also been supported by MMINO and Off The Hook has been involved in coordinating exchanges with South African artists in the festival. The objective with this meeting was for us to learn more about how AHW works and its importance in Norway. This gave us a great insight to the obstacles Africans are

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facing in Norway, but also it was an inspiration to learn how they work very hard to do something about the problems they are facing.

MEETING WITH AFRIKAN YOUTH IN NORWAY

On the 19th October we were invited to the office of Afrikan Youth In Norway (AYIN). AYIN is a resource centre for young African people and their families. Off The Hook has a good working relationship with AYIN. AYIN has gone through a period of change in leadership and membership, so we met with new members. The Manager, Sam Chimaobi Ahamba welcomed us warmly together with his staff and a few members. They showed us some documentaries about their activities and history. AYIN has been in existence for more than 13 years and is exclusively run by young people (early 20s). They explained some of the obstacles young Africans encounter in Norway and how the organization responds to this through activities and educational programs. We had a good time at their office, and there was also time to relax a bit and talk informally, and share experiences.

4.1)

MEETING WITH AFRO-EURO

AfroEuro is a dance production which has been developed by Nordic Black Theatre, and Kwani Experience has been invited to collaborate with the dancers in further developing the production. Afro-Euro is a contemporary dance production dealing with the topic of immigration and the dream of finding a better future somewhere else. Many Page 4
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people in Africa look to Europe as a dream world and hope that they one day can make it there. Without knowing that most people, when they get there, start missing home (Africa) so strongly. The dance production uses the theme of football and sports, as many sports stars in Europe have been recruited from Africa or have a dream to make it big in Europe. Throughout the production, the cast demonstrate belonging, identity, feeling lost and friendship through choreographed dance and movement. In the meeting a DVD from the production was screened, followed by a meeting to discuss way forward regarding collaboration on the project for 2009.

WORKSHOP WITH AFRO-EURO

Kwani Experience was impressed by the production and was interested to collaborate with Afro-Euro on the production. It was decided in the meeting that Afro-Euro in Norway will continue to develop the choreography elements and then send a DVD with their works to the band in South Africa and on South African side Kwani Experience will start composing songs and a score and record sound pieces to send on CD to Norway. The future prospects are that the Afro-Euro will visit South Africa in 2009, where there should be a weeks rehearsal together with Kwani Experience followed by 3-4 performances in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Grahamstown Arts Festival.

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4.) WORKSHOPS: 21-24 OCTOBER 2008 During our visit to Norway we had series of five different workshops in different school in Oslo. At Sagene School we did three workshops with learners aged 14-15 (all in all about 100 learners). The members of Kwani Experience had done workshops before individually, but never as a band. And we wanted the whole band to be involved in the workshops. So we asked them, before even leaving South Africa, to start outlining what each individual could bring to the table, and then assemble a workshop outline from there. The members spent some time at Innvik to go through the different aspects of the workshop and plan the program. The workshops would include physical warm-up, some voice training, putting together a human rhythm orchestra (people were divided into groups to do a certain rhythmic sound, clap or stomp, to make a complete beat together) games, meditation, breathing techniques, music appreciation, discussion with the participants and a talk about Kwanis social awareness campaign, Live Without Fear.

STUDENTS @ SAGENE SCHOOL WARMING UP DURING WORKSHOPS

The physical exercises helped everybody to loosen up and not hold back. The musical workshops helped the participants to use their whole body to think musically, participate and cooperate. Kwani has a social awareness campaign called Live Without Fear which basically is an encouragement to young people that they should not let fear (of crime, xenophobia, gender discrimination etc) rule their lives and they should claim their own space. So, it was well suited to centre the discussion with the youth on fear. The participants were asked to share what fears they have, what problems they see around them and Page 6
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the Kwani members motivated them to do something to create positive change. All the elements tied nicely together and made it a wholesome experience for everybody involved. As this was the first experience for Kwani Experience to do workshops as a group, it also became a learning process for the band from the first workshop straight through to the last. They learned to work more dynamically together and support each other as facilitators. As they got to know more about how learners in Norway respond they were better able to work with the youth and make everything relevant to their needs. One challenge we came across was that learners in Norway are quite shy and introvert. Especially when it came to physical and musical expression they held back. Kwani Experience had to adjust to this and learn how to get the youth to respond more freely. At Nordic Black Xpress Theatre School we did one workshop with students who study theatre at this school (10 students). Here, the students were not inhibited at all, so Kwani Experience could go all the way and be even more experimental with exercises and group work. The program was more or less the same as at Sagene, just more intense, and the students were better able to respond and reflect. This was to be expected as they are all studying drama and expression.
PHYSICAL WORKSHOPS WITH STUDENTS FROM NORDIC EXPRESS SCHOOL

On the 24 October 2008 we visited the Voksen School to do a workshop with children with special needs, aged 8-12 (app. 20 learners.) The children in the class had different challenges, some suffered from Downs syndrome, some were in wheel chair and some had multiple challenges. On this day, unfortunately, most Kwani members were exhausted and, in the morning, it was impossible to get some of them out of bed. So only half the group went and we decided that, despite being upset that some did not make it, we would make the best out of it. And it turned out to be one of the best experiences. We did excerpts from the previous workshops with songs, physical

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games and human orchestra. This was the youngest group we did a workshop with and we had to modify the activities to suit their age. The participants responded so well with great enthusiasm and joy. There were even a couple of learners that really showed off their un-inhibited side, much to everybodys entertainment. And, afterwards, the teachers told us that they normally struggle to get those particular learners to get involved! Most workshops took two hours and the band members took turns instructing the participants. Because the workshops were done in rooms with no equipment, most of them were done without use of instruments, focusing on voice and movement. The objective was to use a musical approach to inspire young people to believe in themselves and be proud of who they are. The Project Co-ordinator and Project Director helped to structure the workshops and were also part of the facilitation. Brother Buntu helped to structure the format, introduced everybody and also helped with behind-the-scenes coordination during the workshops (ideas, instructions, change of activity etc). Khanyi helped the group to prepare before the workshops and did the closing speech in each workshop to thank everybody. Doing workshops was a new experience to most Kwani Experience members. The feedback from them was that doing the workshops really stood out in the program, and they would want to continue doing more workshops with children and youth in future. Nordic Black Theatre sourced the schools where workshops were done. Originally the workshops were planned as musical workshops (musicians meeting musicians). Changing this slightly did not have any negative impact, as both participants and facilitators truly enjoyed and learned a lot from the workshops

5.) VISITS & MEETINGS The following visits/meetings and excursions were done during the Bridge The Gap Exchange in Oslo; On the 20 October 2008, in the evening, we went to The Film House to watch Sheldon Blackman performance and one band member from Kwani Experience Bafana collaborated on stage together with Sheldons band. The Film House is a cinema venue for screening of alternative movies. The film festival Film From South had invited Sheldon Blackman to perform after one of their screenings. Blackman is originally from Trinidad & Tobago, but now stays in Norway, and he is a

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phenomenal artist who blends the music of reggae, soca, soul and traditional African music. On the 21 October 2008, in the evening, we had a dinner with the employees from Nordic Black Theatre and Afro-Euro at Mister India, an Indian Restaurant close to MS Innvik.

KWANI EXPERIENCE, EXPERIENCING NORWAY

It was a great moment as we were all together. During our stay we did not spend much time with employees from Nordic Black, as they were involved many other projects. The objective of the dinner was for everybody to meet and, for Nordic Black Theatre, to express their thank you to Off The Hook Production, Kwani Experience and MMINO for making the project a success. On the 22 October 2008 we went to watch Queendom show at Litteraturhuset. Litteraturhuset (House of Litterature) is basically a four storey house devoted to books, reading and literature. They have a book shop and many venues that are used for book presentations, discussions and performances. On this night, Amnesty International had a campaign for human rights and had invited Queendom to do a onenight show. Queendom is a performance group with five African women who live in Norway. They are seen as a pioneer in the cultural field. The group uses music, songs and humour in a show full of political satire, comedy related to gender and race and cultural pride.

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AMBASSADOR I COOVADIA, FIRST SECRETARY MR DAN STEMMER, KHANYI NXELE, KWANI EXPERIENCE @ S.A. EMBASSY NORWAY

On the 23 October 2008 we visited the South African Embassy, we met briefly with the Ambassador, plus with the first Secretary Mr Dan Stemmer and Cathy the second Secretary. The visit was short as they were scheduled for other meetings. During the day on the same day we went to the Vigeland Park (a famous park in Oslo with impressive sculptures of human bodies) for a photo shoot with the band. On the 24 October 2008 we visited Rikskonsertene and had a brief meeting with Anne Moberg, The Head of International Projects.

KWANI EXPERIENCE, KHANYI NXELE & BROTHA BUNTU HANGING OUT WITH ANNE MOBERG @ RIKSKONSERTENE

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The visits were an important part of the exchange as it helped us the visitors to understand more about Norwegian society and cultural programmes in Norway. 6.) SOCIAL /CULTURAL PROGRAM The group was also invited to several dinners with people they met in Oslo. These were people from different projects and organizations and the dinners presented opportunities for networking and exchange. In addition, the group met with other cultural workers, artists and resource people informally and used this opportunity to exchange experiences in the South African vs the Norwegian cultural industry. The group also took time to explore Oslo on individual basis. They went to discover different sections of town, speciality shops and social meeting places, for their own enjoyment. The last performance was on the 24 October, we had a Creative Super Jam at MS INNVIK, co-ordinated by Off The Hook Production and Kwani Experience.

AN ELECTRIFYING FAREWELL PARTY @ MS INNVIK, NORWAY

Through our stay in Oslo we met with new people, mostly artists and musicians and we managed to organise a jam session. The turnout of people who attended the session was great, the venue was packed. At the jam session Kwani Experience first played a set of 45 minutes,

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then the band invited about 10 other artists to perform with them on stage. The spirit was alive, the audience was very much impressed by the performances. The band Kwani closed off the night with a 20 minutes set. The band was well received by both young and old people, they got so much compliments and praise. On the last day of our stay in Oslo, all members of Kwani Experience were asked to fill in evaluation forms. Generally, they were all happy to have been part of the exchange and felt they had learnt a lot. Some complained that the program was a bit too packed, but the intention of the program was to have many activities and achieve something. In the morning of 25 October 2008 we left Oslo, Norway to go back South Africa.

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