The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation together with the Ukrainian Association of South Africa and NGO Resilient Ukraine are marking the first year of the Russian war on Ukraine with a dance performance titled “We Stand For Freedom”.
This 30-minute contemporary dance performance, created by Ukrainian choreographer Kateryna Aloshyna, is a space for live dialogue between the dancers and audience members. It unpacks the similarities in the Ukrainian and South African fight for freedom. Via digital technologies, the audience makes choices that shape the outcome of the artistic conversation. The piece also explores the humanitarian crisis and the impact of the war on women and children, and how solidarity can lead to a safer world for all.
“As young democracies, both South Africa and Ukraine share and retain a tangible connection to the idea of freedom and justice – ideals which we must never take for granted,” says Janet Jobson, CEO of the Tutu Legacy Foundation. She says, “The Arch reminded us often of the interconnectedness of all humanity – that ultimately our futures are fundamentally tied up in each other.”
“The art speaks simultaneously to the heads and hearts of every human. In the ‘We Stand for Freedom’ performance, the dialogue is between Ukrainians and South Africans as well as between dancers and the audience. We hope that this dialogue will result in actions that defend human rights and the searching for and building of peace,” explains Kateryna Aloshyna.
The performance will explore four blocks:
the humanitarian crisis and the refugee children
the impact of war on women and families
the importance of freedom and the right to choose for societies, and
how supporting values of freedom, human rights and democracy by the global community contributes to a safer society for all.
The opening night is a special, invitation-only evening, taking place on 23 February 2023. It includes a panel discussion following the performance, with participation from civil society representatives, and Janet Jobson (CEO of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation) and Kateryna Aloshyna (choreographer and president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa).
Thereafter, the performance is open to the public, who can purchase tickets from Quicket
When: 24, 25 and 27 February 2023 at 17:00 and 19:00
Where: At the HCC Homecoming Centre (Corner Buitenkant St &, Caledon St, District Six, Cape Town, 8001)
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/207227-we-stand-for-freedom/
For more information click here : https://www.uaza.co.za/we-stand-for-freedom/
“When Russia contested the borders of a foreign sovereign country, it opened a Pandora’s Box,” says Nataliia Popovych, chairperson of NGO Resilient Ukraine. “The humanitarian consequences of such aggression are not confined to the millions of displaced people, or tens of thousands civilian deaths. They affect communities around the world and those most vulnerable suffer first. It is in the interest of both South Africans and Ukrainians to fight for the principles of democracy, which uphold the values of justice and human life.”
We Stand for Freedom is a joint effort between the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, the Ukrainian Association of South Africa and Resilient Ukraine.
