From 10 - 16 October 2022, Sibikwa Arts Centre presents the Inaugural BODY MOVES International Inclusive Dance Festival for able-bodied and disabled dancers. The Festival includes dancers and dance companies from Ireland, Flanders, Italy and Netherlands, supported by their Embassies, as well as from South Africa and Uganda, supported by the British Council.

Providing disabled dancers the same opportunities to perform as abled dancers, the Festival intends to challenge perceptions and expand understandings of dance and disability, while promoting cultural exchange, collaboration and cooperation between African and European countries.

The programme includes:

- Dance and disability workshops and performances by international and South African artists at mainstream schools and schools for learners with special needs from 10 – 14 October.
- Professional exchange workshops for dancers and choreographers at Sibikwa Arts Centre from 10 – 14 October.
- A hybrid colloquium, hosted at the Sibikwa Theatre and live-streamed to the Sibikwa Arts Centre Facebook page, to promote conversations between academics, civil society organisations and artists invested in mainstreaming disability in and through dance. The colloquium will take place from 18h00 – 19h30 on 13 October and 16h30 - 18h00 on 15 October.
- Solo, company and mixed-ability collaborative performances at the Sibikwa Theatre on 15 & 16 October.

For Flanders, Lisi Astaras' Monkey Mind Cie will perform together with SA's Unmute Company during the performances which will take place on 15 and 16 October, from 14:00 to 16:00.

The Festival will be filmed as part of a collaborative research project on Disability, Dance and Citizenship in Africa by Dr Lliane Loots (UKZN, SA) and Prof Yvette Hutchinson (University if Warwick, UK).

There is no cost to participate in the dance and disability workshops, professional exchange workshops or colloquium.

Day tickets for the performances on 15 & 16 October are R80pp, R70pp for groups 10+ on Quicket and R100 at the door.

Please see detailed information about the Festival programme, participating companies and choreographers in the document attached, and follow the link below to register for the workshops and colloquium on Quicket: bit.ly/3r9rVQU


Venue: Sibikwa Theatre (13 Liverpool Park, Corner Liverpool and Bolton Roads, Benoni).