Fumbani Innot Phiri Jr.: Welcome to Critical Stages in Malawian Contemporary Theatre podcast, produced for HowlRound Theatre Commons, a free and open platform for theatre makers worldwide, in partnership with Advanc[ing] Arts Forward, a motion superior fairness, inclusion, and justice by means of the humanities by making a liberated area that uplift, heal, and encourages to alter the world. I’m your host, Fumbani Innot Phiri Jr., a producer, actor, director, playwright, and naturally, a contract journalist.
Critical Stages in Malawian Contemporary Theatre, I interview established theatre artists from all backgrounds to discover the precarious journey of theatre within the trendy world, defines the issue, and discover the higher answer to maintain arts in a era of movement photos. In this podcast, I lead the dialogue with established performers, administrators, writers who’re exploring methods to create these challenges whereas their works impressed the neighborhood.
In at present’s episode, I’m with Lydia Deborah Banda. She’s a Best Actress of 2018 National Theatre Awards, a younger inventive entrepreneur, a founding father of Flying Girls initiative, and he or she’s additionally a resident actress for Solomonic Peacocks Theatre. Flying Girls Malawi’s initiative that began in yr 2019, based by Lydia Deborah Banda in Germany. Flying Girls’ mannequin makes use of inventive strategy to teach about menstrual hygiene, gender equality, local weather change, management abilities, entrepreneurship abilities, and so many different presents.
Alright, Lydia Banda, you’re welcome to this podcast.
Lydia Deborah Banda: Thank you so very a lot.
Fumbani: All proper. I feel it’s a pleasure to have you ever on this episode.
Lydia: Yes.
Fumbani: And one of many children in theatre in Malawi, not only a mere actress but additionally very potential to the trade, an inspiration to younger women. Who is Lydia Banda?
Lydia: So Lydia Banda is a younger lady born in Malawi, Blantyre, raised by a single mother and impressed by artwork.
Fumbani: Right?
Lydia: Definitely. So the whole lot that has to do with Lydia Banda is all the time impressed by artwork. So briefly, it’s only a lady who loves artwork.
Fumbani: Okay. A woman who loves artwork, who does the whole lot with arts.
Lydia: Eating with arts.
Fumbani: All proper. Okay. At such a younger age, a younger theatre practitioner, you’ve gotten produced a very good variety of initiatives in Malawi. You’ve been a part of some worldwide initiatives. And with that, your title is all over the place. You are a job mannequin to children in secondary faculty. So speaking about Solomonic Peacocks Theatre, doing performances in secondary faculties, and speaking about your initiative you based in 2019, Flying Girls. Can you are taking us again about Flying Girls? What is Flying Girls?
Lydia: So that is an initiative which began in 2019, such as you stated. So you additionally acquired impressed by artwork.
Fumbani: Right.
Lydia: Because I used to be working, at first, I used to be a pupil at Solomonic Peacocks Theatre. So I used to be doing theatre, drama, and we had been performing in several faculties till I acquired a possibility to journey to Germany whereby I used to be doing management abilities, and the best way we had been studying these management abilities, it was by means of artwork, by means of drama. So that point I acquired impressed after I noticed women, how they reside their lives in relation to menstruation interval, realizing that there are women that aren’t going through any challenges throughout this era. And I needed to look again the place I’m coming from, and I noticed that there’s a giant hole which must be crammed. And after I checked out that drawback, I’m like, “I am the one to fill that gap.”
So after I got here again, I’m like, “I was abroad, I had to see girls using menstrual cups.” Imagine women who by no means miss their courses. They go to high school Monday to Friday with out lacking their courses, even after they’re of their intervals. So I got here again, I’m like, “What can be the ways which I can inspire these girls not to miss their classes, even during this menstruation period?” And what are the secure merchandise that these women want to make use of for them to pursue their training? Because in Malawi, we are able to say that interval is an excuse to most ladies. You discover out that women are like, “I failed the exams because the week that we were writing exams, I was in my period,” however come on. I’m like, “No, we need to change this because every girl needs to be in school even when they’re in their periods.”
So that’s the place Flying Girls Malawi began, after which I’m like, I don’t must additionally give attention to one factor. I have to give attention to so many issues as a result of there are a variety of challenges that wants each girls and boys to be a part of, which shouldn’t simply be about women. So such as you stated, “FLYING,” it’s an abbreviation which stands for Future Leaders and Young Initiative for Nature and Gender Equality. So you see that we discuss of gender in there, we discuss of management, we discuss of surroundings, we discuss of these issues. That’s the place it began, and one of many actions which is operating first, then the opposite actions is about menstrual hygiene.
Fumbani: Right, okay. So you began the initiative and inspiration from inventive trade. So Lydia, earlier than you began the initiative, a lot of the women in secondary faculties acquired impressed out of your work doing performances. And there one alternative you went to Germany, got here from performing arts.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Right from Solomonic Peacocks Theatre. Can you are taking us again the way you began with Solomonic Peacocks theatre as a—sure, ah, we had been collectively, bear in mind?
Lydia: Yeah, we had been in the identical class.
Fumbani: Yeah, we had been collectively. So take us again, how one can you mirror concerning the theatre class in Solomonic? The significance of it, the way it goes, and the way children must be a part of it?
Lydia: For me, taking you to this load, I might say that I used to be by no means certain of the selection that I made. I used to be nonetheless doubting, and there are occasions that I might come to Solomonic Peacocks Theatre and ask myself, “What am I doing here? Am I really sure for me to get into this art industry?” But then, as a result of I’ve grown up as an individual with lack of esteem, not believing in myself, an individual with no confidence in any respect, I’m like, “Maybe I’m going to change something about myself.” So I began these theatre courses, we had been collectively, you understand how I’ve been doing,
It took artwork for me to find myself as a result of artwork was a problem to me. Art challenged me to face the viewers.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: Growing every day, studying issues every day. So after being launched to artwork, theatre, I needed to perceive myself. I needed to discover myself as a result of I used to be a misplaced particular person, not the misplaced particular person, however then I wouldn’t know the place precisely and what decisions that I’m alleged to make. But then after being launched to this class, I’m like, “This is where I belong. This is where I’m finding myself.” So in these courses, they studied the introduction of theatre, how we are able to uncover ourself by means of it, the entire course of, till I acquired this chance the place I needed to journey to so many international locations on the earth by means of artwork to be taught management abilities.
So the journey has been there, it helped me to spice up my confidence. And I ought to inform you one factor, Fumbani, should you discover that oh, there are a variety of younger women and boys who doubt themselves, however it solely wants one level for them to know or to find themselves. It solely takes one level, and for me, it took artwork for me to find myself as a result of artwork was a problem to me. Art challenged me to face the viewers.
Fumbani: Yes, yeah.
Lydia: It inspired me to look into different folks’s eyes. People that I by no means wished to look straight into their eyes, however it challenged me to do this. And if it is advisable to end up, simply go on stage.
Fumbani: Yeah, and we are able to mirror these days at Solomonic Peacocks Theatre.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: The early days of theatre class, it began only a place to speak and really feel. But you as Lydia, out of the ladies who had been a part of the category, you had been excellent, not essentially that you simply had been doing higher within the efficiency, however approaching workers, totally different views and stuff. And on high of that, you got here excellent a number of performances. And I can recall the Romeo and Juliet, and Romeo and Juliet impressed a variety of children in secondary faculties.
Lydia: Definitely.
Fumbani: And yeah, I used to be a part of the forged, however I used to be like, “These guys are enjoying, these guys are role models. They’re enjoying because of the role.” And that was the primary difficult position for you.
Lydia: Exactly. It actually was a difficult position for me, and I might say that in that point, bear in mind we had been calling that Theatre for Education, whereby we had been going to totally different faculties to speak to younger women. And principally we had been performing, we had been performing some performs which are within the wealthy area simply to behave to the ladies and boys for them to simply perceive the tales. And I might say that that was a time that for me, after I’m studying one thing, after I’m going someplace, it’s not nearly going to satisfy that mission, however I all the time need to be taught one thing from what I’m doing and the place I’m going.
I all the time attempt to discover the place their power, the place their weaknesses, if there’s something that I have to work on. And I might say that Theatre for Education helped me to have ardour for younger folks, since you bear in mind we’re going in several faculties round Blantyre, and these younger women are youngsters, and we might go there. We’ll see how these younger women, they act in entrance of individuals, some challenges and stuff. So for me, the fervour to work with younger women and boys additionally started from the theatre class whereby we had been visiting faculties. So it pushed me very arduous to work with women, to work with boys as a result of I noticed that I feel I’m actually linked to any such folks and we have to change one thing, as a result of we’re the longer term.
Fumbani: So we do used to have fairly a lot of women within the theatre class, a lot of them, I feel women had been dominating the entire membership. But you had been excellent at this. You are the focus of view. Not essentially we are able to say within the inventive factor, however I found one thing that you simply had been the perspective. Whenever we go, folks would attain out to you, principally women. What was the key about? I feel a lot of the women after the efficiency had been like, “Let’s talk to Lydia,” proper?
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Let’s discuss to Lydia, let’s talk about about Lydia. Most you go to secondary faculties the place we discover women solely. What was the key about?
Lydia: That was a tough query. Because myself, I additionally requested myself, why do folks flock to me after each performances, even after I’m taking a job which isn’t that huge, however after each efficiency, they might all the time come to me and ask, “How do you do that?” But then the key, I might say that it’s about ardour. When you’ve gotten ardour, you ship issues otherwise. Even should you don’t say a phrase on stage otherwise you don’t communicate to folks anyhow, however then your presence, folks all the time know that there’s somebody in there, somebody who’s saying one thing or who shouldn’t be saying something. So I feel the strategy of issues for me, the fervour which got here from inside, assist me to ship issues in the fitting manner for folks to note or discuss with me and ask me how I try this. Yeah, possibly that’s a secret.
Fumbani: So the factor like this was studying, so clean, very high-quality. And then we used to do performances, solely children. We go to performances, greater performances, however carried out by children and by and by, the theatre trade was revamping, proper? Because we used to have frequent reveals.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: And then there was a time whereby we now have to get an even bigger problem, and also you had been forged in a really huge skilled manufacturing.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: The Needs of a Woman. So take us by means of the manufacturing itself, The Needs of the Woman, and after you bought the position of the principle actress within the manufacturing, and also you had been on stage with theatre veterans in Malawi.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: And it was, yeah.
Lydia: Like you. Big folks in theatre such as you, don’t skip that one.
Fumbani: I used to be younger.
Lydia: But I needed to share that stage with you. It was one of many huge performs that we had in Blantyre, I bear in mind. So after performing with the younger boys, younger folks, and I needed to get this opportunity to carry out with professionals, it was an thrilling second for me as a result of I used to be used to carry out with my fellow children as a result of we all know how we play on stage. But then with this one, I’m like, “Oh no, so what if I make a mistake? How will they respond to that? Will they understand me?” Such type of concern.
But then after I acquired on stage, that’s the place I understood that we actually have to work. This is figure. We’re not right here to play. I don’t care in case you are sufficiently old, I don’t care in case you are, however that is work. We all have to ship what we have to ship. So The Needs of a Woman was one with a manufacturing that most individuals cherished it and we carried out it to totally different locations. It wasn’t a one present we had to do this Jacaranda, at French Cultural Center.
Fumbani: Tumaini Festival.
Lydia: Tumaini Festival. So that additionally may be one of many issues that pushed me far to the place I’m proper now, as a result of it gave me braveness to know that with this subject, the whole lot is feasible. Yeah.
Fumbani: Yeah. It was difficult. I imply, I wrote the script.
Lydia: You did, sure.
Fumbani: But I didn’t anticipate to have that difficult position to be on stage with Matukuta. Okay, I’ll be with Matukuta on stage.
Lydia: Imagine.
Fumbani: Imagine, so I’m the principle character on stage. Wow, okay. So it was totally different. It was fairly an explorer to see, okay, we’re going to do one hour thirty minutes manufacturing. Wow. So I’ve been utilizing for 5 minutes, yeah.
Lydia: So my favourite half was that one I needed to play so much with once we had been collectively.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: You bear in mind? We can’t say a lot of that what occurred in that script. But that was additionally my favourite half as a result of we had been already used to behave collectively on stage.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So with the opposite skilled guys, they had been new to me, I wasn’t actually versatile. But then after extra rehearsals, I used to be coping. So that scene that we performed collectively was my favourite. Still after I watch that one, I’m like, “Look at this guy. We had to do it.”
Fumbani: To me. Yeah, I acquired bored, realistically in life, as a result of I used to be writing. When I used to be writing the script, I used to be laughing, okay.
Lydia: Not realizing that.
Fumbani: This character goes to be like this, proper? It’s going to be like this. Then routinely through the auditions, you’re going to take the… in a manner, however yeah, it took us one thing and—
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: We be taught so much, and it modified the dimension how we must always carry out theatre exterior world, and we acquired a possibility and we, I’m fortunate we had been collectively for that nice publicity as a result of a lot of the guys watched the performances like, okay.
Lydia: Yeah, we had been supported.
Fumbani: The future is brilliant. So after that efficiency, you bought a variety of alternatives. You went to Germany. You went to South Africa. You even went to Uganda, proper?
Lydia: Israel.
Fumbani: Israel, sure, to Israel. So you studied good alternative to intercultural trade packages.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: How did these issues contribute to your inventive life?
Lydia: These issues actually contributed me to my inventive journey as a result of like I stated, wherever I’m going, I’m all the time recognized by an individual who actually loves artwork as an actor. So as a result of these folks, they already know me that that is what I do, wherever I’m going, even after I need to join with folks of the… See one other likelihood, I all the time attempt to join it artistically. Because after I come again dwelling, that is my life, that is what I do. So each alternative that I get, I all the time strive my greatest that it additionally assist my future to develop. For occasion, we had a global collaboration with the Germans.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: You watched the—
Fumbani: Yeah, I watched this system.
Lydia: You got here late, my buddy, I noticed you.
Fumbani: Yeah, I got here late, and I apologize. First of all I used to be within the subject. I rushed again, labored the efficiency. Then I used to be anxious, at the very least I—
Lydia: I used to be actually glad to see you. I’m like, “You didn’t miss it.” So that was top-of-the-line performances I had as a result of I needed to share a stage with German actors.
Fumbani: And that was the second time to make use of Germans.
Lydia: That was my second time. But then right here in Malawi to play.
Fumbani: The first one was Marauding Beast.
Lydia: To take a giant glow. To take a giant glow and discuss, to talk different languages on stage.
Fumbani: Ah, yeah.
Lydia: Because my love on this, I additionally shared the stage with Germans, however then I didn’t work together extra.
Fumbani: You had been younger by that point.
Lydia: Yeah, I used to be actually younger. But this one I loved as a result of I actually knew what I used to be doing. I’m like, “Huh, let me use this opportunity to shine.” Also, we had an opportunity to be taught German, to be taught dance as a result of within the manufacturing. There was a dancer and within the play—
Fumbani: Robin Marcussen.
Lydia: And Yvonne from Germany, she’s additionally knowledgeable dancer, so I used to be compelled to do some ballet and dance. So that was actually thrilling.
Fumbani: How the expertise in dance?
Lydia: It was—
Fumbani: You spend so much doing simply regular up to date theatre and basic theatre, you then growth, dance.
Lydia: And half of the story, we had been doing it by means of dance. It was fairly difficult, however then I needed to get pleasure from it as a result of it was a brand new expertise and I needed to adapt to it and be sure that I ship on that day, so it was fairly superb. And I’m nonetheless trying ahead to extra worldwide collaborations.
Fumbani: Right, yeah. And that is only a begin.
Lydia: It is.
Fumbani: You began with small, South Africa, you then go to Germany twice.
Lydia: Yeah, Israel.
Fumbani: Israel, and once more, subsequent yr going for tour.
Lydia: Definitely.
Fumbani: What are the expectations after that?
Lydia: I’m anticipating to be taught. Like I informed you originally, I’m an individual who loves studying, and I’m an individual who loves to look at issues. But after I see issues, I all the time bear in mind again dwelling. If I discover, I’m going for this tour, what I’m anticipating is what am I getting from there and what’s it that I’m bringing at dwelling? Is it concepts? Is it one thing that’s going to alter myself, not solely myself, however folks round me? So I’m simply trying ahead to extra concepts, extra issues that I can usher in to share with my fellow youth for change.
We use their very own skills to be their rescue.
Fumbani: All proper. So through the theatre, so return. During the theatre class, used to have an initiative venture. I bear in mind a number of venture, there are about two; there was Mindset Change venture whereby you conduct some actions for prisoners, and there was Theatre for Education. Just communicate one in every of them and clarify how the expertise—
Lydia: —Was. Okay, I’m going to speak about Mindset Change as a result of that one is my favourite, and I’m telling you that we’re nonetheless doing that.
Fumbani: Oh wow. Nice.
Lydia: I nonetheless go to that place as a result of I feel that’s the place a part of my coronary heart belongs as a result of… let me clarify about Mindset program. So that Mindset program the place it began that point when whereby we go to the jail to listen to jail and discuss with the prisoners, encourage them by means of artwork as a result of there are such a lot of folks which are inside there. They have gotten the explanation why they’re there. Others, they remorse what they did. Others, they don’t nonetheless perceive what occurs. But then as a result of we use artwork and we imagine that artwork is a device for change, and we imagine that artwork is a powerful factor that may make somebody possibly to suppose positively.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: That’s why we go there, to speak with the fellows which are in, the inmates which are in jail, to inform them that there are methods that they will change their lives, and that is by means of artwork. And when went there, we came upon there are such a lot of children which are gifted. People that is aware of find out how to drum, beat drums, that they know to sing, dance, doing theatre. And we use these skills, we use their very own skills to be their rescue. So you discover that as they do what they love extra, they’ll be discovering themselves, having fun with what they’re doing they usually’ll are inclined to neglect all of the issues which are taking place. That place shouldn’t be a spot which you can keep and luxuriate in.
Fumbani: It was like a theatre clinic whereby, a thoughts remedy with the fellows. The ex-convicts generally.
Lydia: Yeah. And since we’re the folks which are exterior, they’re in, they don’t have the possibility to go exterior. We are those which are seeing issues on the earth. We inform them that it’s okay out right here to be what you need to be.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: This shouldn’t be the place that whenever you come out, you must cover your self, however you must go there, expose your artwork, expose your self, and you may go together with a very good life.
Fumbani: Yeah, and I feel it was fairly fascinating to work together with these guys, to make use of theatre as drama remedy. So you had been enjoying with their thoughts to reconcile what they did up to now.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: They must neglect about it, they usually have to arrange for the brand new them.
Lydia: Exactly.
Fumbani: When they exit.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: They’ll use their expertise to do this. And presently proper now, we might see Chichiri Prison very vibrant within the society performing some performances. Each and each week, there’s a transition.
Lydia: There is.
Fumbani: And I bear in mind there, if I’m not mistaken, seven of them who went out and studied initiative, they introduced an influence efficiency to society was like wow.
Lydia: That was actually inspiring. They needed to take their very own artwork to carry it out and present the world that although they had been inmates, in addition they had their capabilities to showcase what they know, that was actually superb. And we nonetheless meet another guys which are out now they usually’re doing actually, their companies.
Fumbani: There’s one I bear in mind is featured in a TV collection.
Lydia: Yeah, that’s actually inspiring.
Fumbani: And he even went to Germany final yr. That was, I can say great and I used to attach with him. We used to speak and say what are you doing and stuff, and he’s a very man.
Lydia: Yeah, that’s why—
Fumbani: Quite modified.
Lydia: That’s why we maintain saying that theatre is a powerful device.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: Theatre can be a robust device. It could make somebody understand who they are surely.
Fumbani: And as you had been saying, you probably did some a number of initiatives of Solomonic. You’re presently doing them. And you got here up with, you’ve wandered about Flying Girls Malawi or from theatre, however nonetheless in Malawi, persons are saying theatre is useless. Is it true?
Lydia: To them, it’s useless. But proper now, I ought to inform you that theatre shouldn’t be useless. That is why we’re right here speaking.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: Yeah. Because if one thing is useless, we are able to now not discuss it. It’s gone, it’s gone.
Fumbani: Your greatest purchasers.
Lydia: There are time that theatre was similar to that, we by no means heard about it. And the rationale why we by no means heard about it was as a result of we’re the identical folks, we by no means do something about it.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So we are able to say that it’s useless. Those folks which are saying it’s useless, that those, possibly they don’t seem to be checking on it or attempting to do one thing about it. But for me, I drink theatre, I eat theatre, I drink theatre, I drink artwork. So it’s right here. It’s not useless.
Fumbani: Yeah, it’s not useless. And if we are able to look again, in fact, permitting 2014, ‘15, ‘16, we now have small performances in Malawi.
Lydia: Yeah, it went silent.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: You actually went silent.
Fumbani: And at the moment it was solely Solomonic Theatre that’s doing this.
Lydia: Doing, yeah.
Fumbani: Doing that. And there was no consistency of… reveals.
Lydia: Show.
Fumbani: Tours and stuff. I feel, yeah. It was not there, it was there. It was resurrecting, and we are able to see variety of children from the theatre class, they’re the one main the trade now, they’re all over the place.
Lydia: They began their very own initiative, they usually’re shifting.
Fumbani: And they’re shifting.
Lydia: I feel that change that we had within the 2015s, the change I noticed was folks weren’t discovering the very best place to do their performances.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: I feel that was a problem.
Fumbani: There was no Blantyre Cultural middle.
Lydia: But now they suppose that they’re sustaining it. I imagine that extra performances come out.
Fumbani: And the approaching of Jacaranda, at the very least.
Lydia: The coming of, yeah.
Fumbani: Put a reduction to the artists itself.
Lydia: People had a spot to go and carry out.
Fumbani: But it’s nonetheless, now we now have common reveals. Not that what we wished, however we try to go there.
Lydia: Yeah, we try.
Fumbani: How do you look and the place, however we are able to say how theatre is being run in Malawi? Is it correct manner, or do we have to change the dimension? How are we commercializing our reveals? How are we producing our content material?
Lydia: Okay. In brief, what I can say is the factor that Malawi wants is simply consciousness. Because most individuals right here in Malawi, they are saying that in artwork, there’s nothing which you can get. And with that, we’ve been listening to that since we had been younger that there’s nothing which you can profit by means of artwork. You higher discover one thing else to do. So with that, we put this message within the kids’s mindset they usually grew up realizing that there’s nothing vital in artwork. That’s why you discover that a lot of persons are saying that artwork can go additional right here in Malawi.
Just as a result of they’ve been informed that since they had been younger. But the best way I see it, I see that this future, there’s future as a result of we’re the longer term. If I encourage two or three extra folks, they’re those which are going to hold this flag. And if these folks will encourage the others, so it’ll go like that. So it begins with us, the younger folks, to encourage others for them to know. And then we are able to change our Malawi for nearly everybody to know that in artwork, there’s extra.
Fumbani: Yeah. It is us to encourage different younger folks to be a part of us, sure. But in Solomonic, you’ve gotten a theatre class.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Of which you uncover there’s a hole. A niche whereby a teenager can’t simply bounce on stage. You want at the very least to judge her talent, proper? You want to offer her or him some fundamentals to do theatre. And not just for efficiency, additionally, to suppose thoughts in enterprise.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Marketing, entrepreneurship. So you uncover to begin that initiative. Like summer time courses with these children, of which should you determined to give you that, meaning there’s a drawback, if there’s a drawback.
Lydia: There is.
Fumbani: Education in theatre in Malawi.
Lydia: Education in these folks. There must be, why can’t you simply do some consciousness marketing campaign for particularly our mother and father to know this? When our mother and father perceive this, they’re going to permit their children to return out and do what they need, as a result of it begins with our mother and father. If our mother and father say which you can’t do that, you understand it’s we are able to’t do that. So consciousness in training is de facto vital as a result of myself, I needed to uncover myself by means of this theatre class. I’m like, it wants to return again once more as a result of there are different women and boys, they should additionally, have this platform and go for what they need.
Fumbani: But we now have University of Malawi, which at Chancellor College, they’ve a program, a drama program.
Lydia: Yes, they do have a program at Chancellor College Malawi. But the loopy factor is, so that you’re at Chancellor College, you’re doing drama. So why ending up being a trainer? Secondary faculty trainer, I nonetheless don’t perceive that.
Fumbani: And on high of that, not only a trainer who teaches drama. English.
Lydia: You perceive? So it’s a factor that I can simply get up at present and inform the… I’m going to Chancellor College and inform them no. Why? It’s as a result of they should perceive. Well, I do know that possibly I can go at some point and simply inform them that this isn’t the best way to go. But then it wants to begin from there. Once they perceive, so it’s training that we’re speaking about right here. Once we educate these folks, educate those that educate.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: That there’s a want so that you can contemplate that when you’re conserving this youngster right here on the college for 4 years, when this particular person comes out, she or he’s a product of artwork. This is what she’s alleged to do, not being an English trainer as a result of what you’re doing, you’re taking away expertise; you’re taking away passions, you’re taking away issues that may assist the economic system of your nation, you perceive? So there’s a necessity for integration.
Fumbani: Okay. In this podcast, I additionally had a chat with some a number of students from Chancellor College who’re presently being academics; they’re academics in excessive faculties. And there’s something after we mentioned about why is {that a} group of graduates in Chancellor College who’re doing drama, 90 p.c of them—and I imply 99 p.c I can say—they’re academics in secondary faculties. And you return to these secondary faculties, they’re not instructing drama.
Lydia: They’re instructing English.
Fumbani: Yes, we can’t blame them that they’re not instructing drama as a result of we don’t have a drama curriculum in secondary faculties, proper?
Lydia: Exactly, yeah.
Fumbani: So they’re being compelled to show historical past, social research, English. Why is that? They don’t need to put money into the trade, the reply was.
Lydia: Where are we going to begin from?
Fumbani: They spend 4 years that make investments, now they’ll return, they’ll be a part of the theatre which they haven’t any cash to pay them cash.
Lydia: Imagine.
Fumbani: So they haven’t any alternative, they should pay payments. But we’re surviving.
Lydia: They simply suppose, they don’t actually come out on the bottom and expertise what’s there as a result of artwork is not only about sitting on the desk writing, however it is advisable to work along with your fingers, your thoughts, your legs. You want to maneuver up and down. That’s the place you uncover that there’s a necessity for one thing right here and there so we must always simply cease all these assumptions. We ought to come on the bottom and see what’s there and attempt to work it out.
Fumbani: And right here you’re. Through artwork, you’ve gotten Flying Girls.
Lydia: I’ve Flying Girls, and I’m nonetheless surviving. And I’m nonetheless bringing in additional women and boys. And you understand that on this Flying Girls Malawi, we now have boys as nicely. It’s a strain that I couldn’t deal with myself. I had extra boys coming. They’re like, “No, we want to be part of Flying Girls Malawi.” I’m like, “Oh, should I change the brand, or do I have to introduce Flying Boys Malawi?” And that is what we would like. We need boys to assist women. We’re speaking of gender in Flying Girls Malawi.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So we want boys to face for women and we want women to face for boys as nicely in order that’s it.
Fumbani: How do you have a look at in your initiative, the membership it’s important to incorporate principally in theatre, most to ladies, you’re the position mannequin. They know Lydia does this, Lydia do a efficiency, Lydia additionally, you’re right here. Now, you’re taking up, you’re instructing theatre class, you’re helping. Yeah, you bought a possibility to go likelihood to do an incubation program, so not the total program, however they’re simply an incubation. Now what are you doing with women to encourage them to be full-time theatre artist? In Malawi, we’re liking that we solely see women being actors on stage or costume designers or manufacturing designer. We are missing theatre administrators, feminine administrators, writers.
Lydia: Inspiration. We really want somebody to encourage us. When I went for incubation at Chancellor College for Sula, I used to be doing directing, and that was one of many challenges that I had to soak up this life. Because you understand me as an actor; you don’t know me as a director. And like I stated, if I’ve seen that there’s a spot someplace, I all the time need to go and fill that hole. So that’s why I noticed that the virtually 80 or 90 p.c of administrators in theatre industries in Malawi, all of them are boys. How about women? Can we ladies stand in entrance and inform actors, male actors, what to do?
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So I’m going for that incubation, I’m going to study directing. That’s how I took that step for me to proceed to carry the position mannequin. Those folks after they see that this lady is a director, additionally, another women needs to be impressed, do the identical factor.
Fumbani: Because we want extra tales coming from the ladies’ perspective.
Lydia: Exactly.
Fumbani: You encourage the ladies, don’t have the time to do consciousness, however that consciousness must be facilitated by them. If you need to have a possible story with a direct info, it is advisable to get the story from the horse’s mouth. So in case you are the director, you’re one of many guys contributing to discuss the manufacturing.
Lydia: Definitely.
Fumbani: Even the ladies, we want extra writers. I do know women have a variety of tales, they write brief tales. But we have to direct from writing shorter tales to scripts. We have to see extra tales, possibly we are able to see new productions coming from girls.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Right?
Lydia: It’s coming.
Fumbani: It’s coming.
Lydia: It’s actually coming.
Fumbani: Really, as a result of I’m uninterested in writing productions.
Lydia: So, you as a author, it is advisable to do some workshop. I’ll carry my women there, educate them find out how to write a script.
Fumbani: I don’t how to do this. That’s my dream, to have extra women in script writing as a result of I might want to have extra writers who has the voice of telling their tales. 50 p.c of my productions has a lady chat story, proper. But I can’t ship it nicely if I’m simply, I’m assuming the state of affairs.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Or I can ask a lady, what is occurring about this example? You’ll give me the data within the analysis function, but when that particular person is writing the story.
Lydia: It’s going to take the whole lot out.
Fumbani: Right? And be like, growth. I’ll give an instance. We did The V Monologue, proper? I began because the initiative. Okay, let’s do a V Monologue, which Taddja with Dikamawoko Arts, we might take a mock at. Then we collect the ladies. I wrote the script after which I used to be like, “No. Guys, you are going to produce the content by yourself.” Tomorrow, return to communities, analysis and get info. Bring it over right here. And I used to be shocked to see somebody was seventeen years previous, Lisa, explaining tales, deep tales. You can clarify these tales.
We ought to come on the bottom and see what’s there and attempt to work it out.
Lydia: Magic.
Fumbani: And I used to be additionally shocked, there was one lady who was sixteen years previous, and her mom is a prophet, I can say, proper? Her mom is a prophet, and he or she’s like, “If my mom caught me saying this, she’ll whip me. But I’m here to express what is happening in this society because I am also the victim so I need to tell my story.” So the seven women teamed up, carry up a script, direct themself, and it was an anger-full manufacturing. You might see there’s a voice, there’s anger inside them. So I used to be like, “Okay, we need more of this.”
Lydia: We want extra.
Fumbani: So extra of that. Need it from you. The society must have the tales as a result of you’ve gotten a bunch of children is impressed by you and yeah, one thing like that.
Lydia: It’s coming.
Fumbani: It’s coming.
Lydia: Watch this area.
Fumbani: All proper, okay. Let’s return, Theatre for Education. You began as a theatre class in Solomonic as a membership. So you began some performances in secondary faculties. I can bear in mind. 70 p.c of the initiative had been carried out by the children. They would design, we’ll go there.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: We’re going to do that manufacturing; you’re going to do that manufacturing. They like simply, “Okay, cool.” Go and no, don’t go. So how had been you conducting the theatre class to do Theatre for Education program?
Lydia: Can you come once more?
Fumbani: Okay. There was a membership, you continue to have proper now, so that you used to go for performances.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: And more often than not it was solely you, the members within the membership, not the director of the group providing you with what to do.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: You had been simply sitting down. I feel let’s give you the nice truthful thoughts, we’re going to carry out someplace.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Let’s give you one thing. How did you attain to the purpose whereby everybody was contributing and everybody who was desirous to go and carry out and there was ardour inside? Because whenever you watch one efficiency from the workforce, there’s no man right here however there’s ardour. There is ardour.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: What was taking place?
Lydia: So for me, I might say that that was the time that I had additionally to find a few of my management abilities in me. Because bear in mind, the director would go away us when he’s dedicated to another issues, and he’d inform us to go and do that and that. And then the nice factor is we as a category, we’re listening to one another’s factors. So after I say some extent or we now have acquired an thought, we all the time pay attention to one another and exit and do the issues with ardour as a result of what we’re doing on stage is what we wished to do. And there wasn’t anybody who was saying, “No, don’t do that.” Of course, the director who, even when the director’s there, he by no means stated that, “Don’t do that.”
He would give us an opportunity additionally to specific ourselves and do another issues on our personal. But I feel that helped me to have this type of ardour the place I can specific myself and do issues the best way I would like with my thought. So the factor about artwork, you don’t must restrict your self. Even folks round you, we all know, we already know that in artwork, there’s no manner you’ll be able to restrict an thought as a result of each thought is a inventive thought and it brings one thing that may additionally carry change, so I might benefit from the performances as a result of all of the concepts had been working proper there. And they had been extra, extra and we’re having enjoyable.
Fumbani: Yeah, most was you had been having enjoyable.
Lydia: Fun, yeah.
Fumbani: And what I’m comfortable is I can say that membership may be very vibrant within the society present, very vibrant. You would see a variety of them performing some initiative, we now have Khumbolane Chavula.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: Now, Khumbolane Chavula, he was half on one of many episode within the podcast. Why? Because he impressed me from, he diverted his abilities from mainstream theatre into poetry. But he’s utilizing poetry and theatre collectively, and it’s one thing else, one other model of theatre as a result of it made it seem to be poetry. So you’ll be able to see the reflection, how these guys are doing upside as a result of the chance of interplay, the chance, how they had been expressing their level, okay, we are able to do that on their very own. And you, you’re standing there, you’re operating initiative and you’ve got a bunch of children. You have a era of which that era encourage the society.
Lydia: Definitely.
Fumbani: Right? So this era is a era of movement photos, a era of digital, with problems with commercializing performances. But there was a competition, Easter Theatre Festival. You might see folks use e-tickets, however the quantity of field workplace, and the quantity you’ve gotten invested shouldn’t be tiring in any respect.
Lydia: Not in any respect.
Fumbani: And any thought how one can commercialize theatre aside from the gate correction, and you understand there’s digital. People has to decide on, “Okay, let me watch Netflix. Okay. Okay, let me be on Facebook, let go me go on TikTookay, they’ll be entertained.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: In a shorter interval, then transport, go Jacaranda, watch a efficiency, 5 thousand. Ah, I cannot go. You see in different international locations when it’s okay, we now have a present, we’re premiering our present, a brand new present. They must do it on Friday night time, then Saturday morning, afternoon and night. Then Sunday, about 5 instances inside three days. That means every slot may have full time reveals. But right here in Malawi, simply just one present, one first premier present may have restricted.
Lydia: Limited folks.
Fumbani: See, and most of them being artists. They love, let’s simply go and watch and assist our brother and stuff. You as you’re interacting creators, and right here within the theatre class, you are taking them entrepreneurship, enterprise, what sort of mannequin are we doing to alter the system of theatre?
Lydia: Yeah, like I stated, we return once more. There’s a necessity for training so as a result of we noticed that there’s that hole.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: It’s actually loopy the way you simply are having your present and you discover out that the prove may be very poor. You anticipated folks to return and watch the manufacturing. But the folks which are coming there, only a few and since they’ve select to have interaction themselves with another issues, residing in a expertise world whereby persons are afraid to do what they need, they are going to watch it on Facebook, they’ll not come. They’ll be on TikTookay dancing, everyone seems to be doing their very own factor. But when you perceive what is de facto vital and what you need, you all the time go for that.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So if we educate these folks, how vital it’s for these performances to return, as a result of it’s not simply me standing on stage and entertaining you, however it’s additionally standing on stage educating you.
Fumbani: Yeah.
Lydia: So in addition they want to know that coming to a efficiency, a theatre efficiency, it’s not nearly them coming to giggle or to neglect about their issues, but additionally to unravel their very own issues as a result of what’s shared on stage generally is a answer to what they’ve been going by means of. So there’s a necessity for integration that’s not nearly leisure, however it’s additionally to teach them, to alter the best way we reside, you perceive?
Fumbani: All proper. Lydia, it’s a good dialog and inspiration, and I feel we now have a variety of discussions sooner or later.
Lydia: Yeah.
Fumbani: And these discussions may even assist us to doc our each day theatrics factor and in addition to encourage others. And yeah, thanks. Dear listeners, if you wish to discover Lydia, you’ll be able to go on Facebook, Lydia Deborah Banda, and in addition, you may also verify her Facebook web page on Flying Girls Malawi. Yeah, on the Facebook web page. And you may also verify Solomonic Peacocks Theatre Facebook web page as nicely. Yeah, so till subsequent time.
Thank you a lot for having a chew with us. This has been one other episode of Critical Stages in Malawian Contemporary Theatre. I used to be your host, Fumbani Innot Phiri Jr. If you’re trying ahead to attach with me, you’ll be able to e mail me at [email protected]
This episode is produced as a contribution to HowlRound Theatre Commons. You can discover extra episodes of this collection and different HowlRound podcast in our feeds, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you discover podcasts. Be certain to seek for “HowlRound Theatres Commons podcasts” and subscribe to obtain new episodes. If you like this podcast, submit a score and write a evaluate on these platforms, this assist different folks to seek out us. You may also discover the transcript of this episode together with a variety of progressive and disruptive content material on howlround.com. Do you’ve gotten an thought for thrilling podcasts, essay, or a TV occasion that the theatre neighborhood wants to listen to? Visit howlround.com and submit the concept to the feedback.
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