The Official Blog of the Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), comprising the National Theatre and Nommo Gallery. An Institution guided by unity in diversity; nourishing, celebrating, preserving and promoting Uganda's Art and Culture.
The intoxicating Latin Flavour is back in the National Theatre main auditorium. We are talking the classic Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba, Salsa, Mirenge, Cha-Cha, Jive, and Bachata on the same stage all evening! Sensual dancing at its best. If you love the BBC Entertainment's Strictly Come Dancing, you will certainly fall for this, and what's more, it's better by all acoounts! Come and get hypnotized for only 5,000 shillings this Wednesday, June 30th, at 5p.m., and every last Wednesday of the month.
Actors will be paid a daily rate between 300,000 and 700,000 Ugandan shillings depending on experience. The auditions will take place here at the National Theatre tomorrow Saturday 26th June 2010, 10 a.m.-12 noon. This is a grand opportunity; if you don't grab it don't say you didn't know!!
Hers is a story of 17-year-old Tereka, travelling to New York with his school music group after they won a national competition, setting eyes to pursue a better life overseas due to his semblance to American actor, Will Smith.
Mr Kenneth Atwine and last year's winner Julia Childs tied in second position having authored Kitu Kidogo and The Coffin Factory, respectively.
Ms Angella Emurwon came third with The Cow Needs A Wife, offering Ugandans the first sweeping chance to topple Nigerians who dominated the awards in the past half century.
The plays; Kitu Kidogo and The Cow Needs a Wife require to be cast in authentic Ugandan sound since they are set in the country, according to the producers.
"But even more important, we want to tap into local talent and are confident we will find great Ugandan actors," said BBC World Service Drama Director Catherine Fellows.
Announcing the prizes on Monday, the broadcaster said Uganda's impressive performance in this year's competition suggests a "flowering of literary talent” in the country."
Acclaimed creative writer, Prof. Soyinka, while picking the winners, said: "I don't know whether Ugandans think they want to knock Nigerians out of this competition because Nigerians used to take everything but this year, no show."
The broadcaster's Drama Producer Jenny Horrocks said this year's winning entries are "relevant to contemporary life and highly entertaining."
Director Fellows and Technical Producer Neva Missirian will drive tomorrow's midday event at the National Theatre, Ms Mary Lusiba, BBC's head of marketing and communications in Africa, announced in Nairobi yesterday.
"The BBC team will be looking out for talent with experience in radio, stage, TV or film," she said in a statement. Audiences across the world will have the opportunity to listen to the plays on BBC World Service from August 5 to September 9.
The broadcaster launched the playwriting competition, in which listeners are invited to compose a 30-minute English-language play containing no more than six characters, in 1971. And the winning entries are recorded and broadcast on BBC World Service for Africa.
That premiere competition in 1971 was judged by Prof. Soyinka, who as a way of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the BBC African Performance season, returned to judge this year's competition.
We are on top of the literary world after three Ugandan playwrights won the 2010 BBC African Performance Playwriting competition!
Deborah Asiimwe (in picture) took the top prize that comes with a financial reward of 1000 pounds for her play Will Smith Look Alike. The play which will be broadcast on BBC is about a student who travels to the United States with his school music group after they won a national competition, and believes that his resemblance to the American actor Will Smith will help him to pursue a better life there.
The second position was jointly snatched by Keneth Bashir Atwiine for Kitu Kidogo, a story abouttwo corrupt policemen, and Julia Child's The Coffin Factory a hilarious play that addresses the stigma of HIV.
Angella Emurwon's The Cow Needs A Wife came third. It's a comical piece about a young man whose girlfriend discovers she is pregnant.
To scoop all the three top positions is a seismic achievement for Uganda considering that it knocked down Nigeria from the literary pedestal it had long enjoyed.
Prof. Wole Soyinka, who judged this year's competition commented: "I don't know whether Ugandans think they want to knock Nigerians out of this competition because Nigerians used to take everything but this year, no show. I am glad of course I didn't know who on earth was writing which play."
The Nobel laureate added, "Deborah Asiimwe's writing was very good, and I became really caught up with the play wondering what the final denouement would be. It was convincing."
An excited Asiimwe, told me about theday BCC called to say she was the overall winner of the prestigious competition:
"May 10th 2010, about 11:00 am, I am at my desk in the Sundance Institute Office, located on Varick Street, Lower Manhattan , New York . My phone vibrates, it does not show the number and being me, I refuse to pick it up, hoping that someone would leave a message and I would call them back! It stops vibrating, no message comes through. Five minutes later, the phone vibrates again, still no number, again, I refuse to pick it up and again no message left. An hour later, the phone vibrates again! This time, I start thinking the worst. "It must be from home! This must be bad news!..Oh God, I hope not...oh my God...my mother just went through an eye operation...Oh my God...please let this not be bad news... "Pick it up!" As if some other voice is speaking through me. I pick up. "Hello, this is Asiimwe! "From the other side comes a strong British accent; "Deborah?"
"Yes, this is she." And I am thinking, no one in my family speaks with such a strong British accent! Now what is this?
"My name is Vera..." the voice says, "....and I am calling from the BBC."
I hesitate. Why would the BBC be calling me? As my thoughts are still racing, Vera interrupts me. "Do you have any idea why BBC would be calling you?"
I am about to say "NO. Not at all!", then, it clicks! The script I submitted a while back. That must be it! I rumble something to her...I can't quite remember what I said, but I did mention that I submitted a script to BBC. Vera laughs. Silence. I wait. We wait for either of us to break the silence. My heart in my throat, my veins popping out of my skin; she breaks the silence: "Congratulations Deborah! Your play Will Simith Look Alike won the BBC African Performance 2010 Playwriting competition!"
This wasn't a dream. This was real, I was talking to someone from the BBC telling me that my play won the 2010 competition!? That I get a financial award on top of my play being broadcast on BBC? As I am trying to absorb all this, she says, "I should also mention that Wole Soyinka was the Judge of the competition and he is the one who got to select your play!"
Wole Soyinka! A man whose writing was introduced to me in my secondary school days, he was one of the people whose work influenced me to write plays!! The thought of Wole Soyinka holding my script and actually reading it thrills me.
I am so thankful because God has caused me to meet amazing people on my journey as a playwright. I have been privileged to work and be mentored by wonderful, giving, loving individuals. The support I have received from my former professors, some of my employers and colleagues has been extremely invaluable and I am forever grateful to God for directing me to this path."
This is not the first time that Ms. Asiimwe is earning recognition for her drama-tic prowess. Early this year, her play, Forgotten World, premiered at The School of Theater at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) where she attained her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Writing for Performance. A few months later, her new play, Cooking Oil, about an East African girl and foreign aid meant for her village, got a public reading in Manhattan . This play will in fact be staged at the National Theatre in Kampala later this year. I'll keep you updated.
The re-branded Jam Session has already picked fire and is blazing hot with live performances; stirring vocals, eclectic instruments; come enjoy the masters alongside the apprentices; performances with an artistic soul that serve as a role model to the entire industry here and across the border; a variety show to take your breath away! All for free starting 8p.m.!!!
The classic theatre musical, Aladdin, comes to the National Theatre in Kampala, thanks to the International School of Uganda's Production of Disney's 'Aladdin Jr.' Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Book adapted and additional lyrics by Jim Luigs. Music adapted and arranged by Bryan Louiselle based on the screenplay by Ron Clements and John Musker, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio. Tickets on sale at the National Theatre Box Office; Adults -10,000Shs, Children -5,000Shs. This is one of those rare shows you don't want to miss!
I have no doubt the time I spent upcountry during the festive season revived my life. One of the things I enjoyed a great deal was freedom from noise. I was in a village with no telecom network, no internet, no discos, no batembeyi, and not many vehicles. The calm I felt gave me an atmosphere to evaluate my life in 2009 and to plan better for 2010. The peace I got reminded me what a gift silence can be! From the first century saints, through the ascetics of the middle ages, to the most recent saints of Padre Pio’s time, “Quiet Time” has been part of the life-style of the great men and women of God.
As you well know, today we are living in a world of noise. There are too many voices fighting for our attention at ago. While the street preacher is still assuring you of how you are soon perishing in hell, the mutembeyi will be shouting at the top of his voice to make you see his clothes. You will be fleeing from the hooting taxi, only to bump into a noisy truck marketing music. Even at places of work and at home, there will always be someone to shout at you. In the end you may never have a settled mind, unless you take a deliberate decision to withdraw from noise once in a while.
Each one of us needs to create some personal time. This is something I emphasize in my book "TOUCHING HEAVEN, RAZING HELL!" You need some uninterrupted time for yourself, if possible everyday. This is what I call "Me-Alone-Time". A time to reflect on your achievements, failures, weaknesses and strengths. A time to evaluate your past, meditate on the present and plan your future. A moment to take unrushed decisions for the good of your spiritual, marital or work life. Don’t say you have no time for silence; you have exactly the same number of hours in a day like the Pope and yet he gets time off his busy schedule to reflect on his life. 2010 is not a year of excuses; it’s a year of action.
Bake is an author, and Managing Director,
World of Inspiration. Contact: bakerobert@yahoo.com / 0712-868424.
BAKE, for the last 10 years I’ve been chasing a UK Visa in vain. I have prayed and fasted but God has forsaken me. Now I know I am going to die a poor man,” my friend recently lamented. I was about to tell him not to be foolish, but I did not because I realized he was simply a victim of a crippling mindset. No wonder Saint Paul urges us to be transformed by renewing our minds daily.
This young man is just one of the many captives that have postponed living and are languishing in self-created limbo, waiting to start enjoying life when their dream of going abroad comes true. It’s funny how some people struggle to leave a country that others are struggling to enter. While you may struggle to go to India to make money, hundreds of Indians entering Uganda are prospering!
When Winston Churchill thought of calling our motherland the Pearl of Africa, he had seen many treasures in this land.
How did the Bitatures, the Wavas, the Mukwanos make their money? And how many Ugandans have returned from South Africa, America, UK, without even enough money for a ticket back? The belief that you can only succeed from abroad is part of a poverty/failure mindset that must be overcome.
I have a strong conviction that a person prepared to succeed will always succeed anywhere in the world. I remember reading about a man who was once a millionaire. All his factories were destroyed during war and he fled to another country as a refugee without anything. However, within two years, he was a millionaire again! This implies that his success was in his mind.
God has given each of us talents and gifts which, if used creatively and according to his purpose, will inevitably lead us to success. In this world there are people who wait for things to happen and there are those who make things happen. I am among the latter. How about you?
The writer is an author & Managing Director of World of Inspiration. Contact: bakerobert@yahoo.com / 0712-868424
If there is one powerful African dance company that has single-handedly revolutionized contemporary dance in Uganda, working in fusion with the European style, it is the Uganda National Contemporary Ballet.
The posse of lithe dancers will put up a weekend of mesmerising performance onFriday and Saturday (23-24th April 2010) in the National Theatre auditorium here in Kampala, at 7:30 pm respectively, and tickets are already on sale at our Booking Office.
You cannot afford to the miss the highlight ballet, The Rite of Spring(le sacre du printemps) on the well known music of Igor Stravisky with live percussions by one of Uganda's best percussionists, Hermann Ssewanyana, and other 11 dancers of Uganda National Contemporary Ballet.
"I have always wished to create this great work, Rite of Spring, but before now was never able to find the dancers I needed," says choreographer Valerie Miquel, on Stravinsky's masterpiece. "And now I have found them; the Uganda National Contemporary Ballet has what it takes; thanks to them we can now present this fantastic piece of music and dance."
Igor Stravisky (1882 -1971) was a quintessential Russian composer, pianist and conductor, in fact, is considered one of the world’s most outstanding influential composer of 20th century music. According to wikipedia, The Rite of Spring did not earn Stravinsky enviable stature as "a musical revolutionary, pushing the boundaries of musical design," it also "transformed the way in which subsequent composers thought about rhythmic structure…the music's innovative complex rhythmic structures timbres, and use of dissonance have made it a seminal 20th century composition."
When I ask Valérie to tell us in simple terms the story behind the acclaimed dance piece, her eyes dance merrily and she says: "There is no story. For me this music is a celebration of life: life in nature, life of human beings. Spring is the strongest season - the rebirth of nature each year - and is full of strength and energy. Spring is also the season of renewal, where all is new, innocent, and open to everyone. That is why we have among us a little four year-old girl, Martina."
She adds: "The dancers represent all the powerful animalistic instincts of life, which are in all of us. Forget about understanding, just feel free and flow with us through this passionate dance. And celebrate life!"
There will be special guests –the Chinese Kung Fu Club of Kansanga who will present All Men are Brothers and Skar who will sing where is this Love, a song created for the street children.
Like I said, tickets are being sold at the National Theatre Kampala for 5,000 shillings or you can call 0773 09 15 86 or 0712 72 74 24.
The recent happenings on Uganda’s literary scene undoubtedly point to a great revolution that’s taking place in the art and creative industry in the country. The Authors’ Forum every month, the gathering by Kampala Readers’ Club every fortnight, the various trainings for screenwriters, movie producers, directors and actors/actresses, and more regular art exhibitions, among other events, cannot be happening at this magnitude by accident.
Today, the media has opened more to promotion of local talent and the works of local authors. Designers are showcasing their works on every television station. Comedy shows are becoming more and more popular. Every minute a song is being produced in the studio. Talent search programs from every angle are taking place. Awards for distinguished artistes are being organized annually. All this is evidence that something new is happening. Something that the world should get ready for!
I have this conviction that Uganda is about to prove itself a powerhouse of art and creativity. The time has come when the Pearl of Africa is no longer going to be known world over for President Idi Amin’s tyrannical rule, HIV/AIDS, corruption or the war against Joseph Kony and the LRA, but for the power of art and creativity. The industry is growing at a terrific and unstoppable speed. The literary tempo is high and I have no doubt that a revolution is taking place. I am glad to be amidst this revolution!
It's with utmost grief and shock that the Board, Management and Staff of the Uganda National Cultural Centre have learnt of the sudden death of Ms. Susan Bamutenda. The creative and performing arts fraternity will so miss her bright contribution particularly in the field of dance. Indeed, she'll be difficult to replace. Our sincerest condolences to her family, relatives and friends. We will always love and remember you, Susan. May the good and ever kind Lord rest your soul in enverlasting peace.
