{"id":52556,"date":"2025-03-28T13:09:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T12:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/project\/ecosystem\/"},"modified":"2025-04-29T14:05:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T12:05:46","slug":"ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/project\/ecosystem\/","title":{"rendered":"ECOSYSTEM"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the global community slowly awakens to the urgent need to protect the Congo Basin\u2014one of the planet\u2019s largest carbon sinks\u2014the local population once again finds itself caught in the crossfire of geopolitical interests. For ECOSYSTEM<\/em>, the artist collective GROUP50:50 travels to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, collaborating with rainforest communities to create a powerful multimedia music theatre piece. Together, they tell the story of an ecosystem in crisis\u2014a natural world pushed to the brink, and the people whose lives are inseparably bound to it. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

“If we save the rainforest, we save the climate!” This slogan has been used for decades by international environmental organisations to justify their interventions in the equatorial forests. But the reality on the ground is far more complex.In efforts to preserve the region\u2019s extraordinary biodiversity, environmentalists often find themselves in conflict with mining corporations and timber exporters\u2014industries that, backed by corrupt political elites, continue to extract gold and timber at the cost of devastating the forest and its ecosystems. Yet, the conservation regulations themselves are not without harm: they frequently ignore the land rights of local communities.This has led to violent clashes between international conservation efforts and smallholder farmers who rely on traditional methods of clearing forest for agriculture. Meanwhile, the nomadic Mbuti people\u2014among the most intimate stewards of the rainforest\u2014have sustained their way of life for generations by living in harmony with the forest. Yet their ancestral rights to this land remain unacknowledged. <\/p>\n\n

Together with local farmers and members of the Mbuti community in Bagoia\u2014collaborators from their previous work The Ghosts Are Returning<\/em> (presented at africologneFESTIVAL 2023)\u2014the performers and musicians of GROUP50:50 explore what we inherit from our ancestors and what we will pass on to future generations. In dialogue with the region\u2019s traditional music, they create a transnational ceremony that honours the forest and reflects on its vital importance\u2014not only for those who live within it, but for the entire world. <\/p>\n\n

PRODUCTION <\/strong>GROUP50:50 | COPRODUCTION<\/strong> Residenz Schauspiel Leipzig, Kaserne Basel and Centre d’Art Waza LubumbashiIN COLLABORATION WITH<\/strong> Caritas Wamba, the communities of Bagoia and Asand-abo.<\/p>\n\n

With the financial support of<\/strong> Fachausschuss Tanz & Theater Basel-Stadt \/ Basel-Landschaft, Pro Helvetia, Schweizer Kulturstiftung, Migros Kulturprozent, S\u00fcdkulturfonds, Ernst G\u00f6hner Stiftung, Corymbo Stiftung, Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung, GEA Waldviertler.<\/p>\n\n

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR <\/strong>Eva-Maria Bertschy, Joseph Kasau, Kojack Kossakamvwe, Elia Rediger | MUSICAL DIRECTOR <\/strong>Kojack Kossakamvwe, Elia Rediger | WRITERS<\/strong> Eva-Maria Bertschy, Jean-Baptiste Ekaka, Patrick Mudekereza, Joseph Kasau, Elia Rediger | VIDEO<\/strong> Joseph Kasau, Moritz von Dungern | COSTUME<\/strong> C\u00e9drick Nzolo, Souleymane Diallo and Janine Werthmann | TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT<\/strong> AND<\/strong> LIGHT DESIGN<\/strong> Sylvain Faye | STAGE<\/strong> Sylvain Faye, Elia Rediger | SOUND DESIGN<\/strong> Philipp Ruoff, Elia Rediger | PRODUCTION<\/strong> Camille Jamet, HERProductions and Isaac Yenga | TOUR MANAGEMENT<\/strong> Luca Maier and Isaac Yenga | RECHERCHE<\/strong> Jean de Dieu Aybeka | DIRECTOR<\/strong> Anna Melissa Zentgraf<\/p>\n\n

WITH<\/strong> Jean-Baptiste Ekaka, Dieu le Veut Sumba, Kojack Kossakamvwe, Elia Rediger, Huguette Tolinga<\/p>\n\n

PERFORMANCE (IN THE VIDEOS) <\/strong>G\u00e9rard Agbokabolo Amboko, Jean Kamana, Papa Delolai, Christophe Anzali-te Amboko, Dauphin Kakuaguwe Wendokono, Maman Antoinette, Constant Delite, Sengele Charles, Michel Basekombonane, Jean-Maria Nangondese, Rose Ongane, Jean-Paul Ingbitina, Collethe Bombini, Jules Amboko, Jacques Modo, Mambunga Basekombonane, Awilikilango, Adeline Baboanane, Julberthe Bibedu, Paulin Banyandey, Fran\u00e7oise Iday, Clementine Nengapeta, Micheline Iday, Jean-Pierre Bambabeya, Philiphe Bozi Marie, Nangaa Charline, Michel Thomo, Marie Akemande, Therese Monikomange, Bambanaye Abuty, Ndandambajaye, Jean-Pierre Monzabete, Anyabukiyuo, Jean-Pierre Bambakoanza, Adwakanakeya, Anthoinethe Abinya Kalite, Agbokabulo Mavambu, Jean-Marie Akemane, Raymond Kakeane, Clementhine Natho, Adwakanakeya Jedeo<\/p>\n\n

www.group5050.net<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the global community slowly awakens to the urgent need to protect the Congo Basin\u2014one of the planet\u2019s largest carbon sinks\u2014the local population once again finds itself caught in the crossfire of geopolitical interests. For ECOSYSTEM, the artist collective GROUP50:50 travels to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, collaborating with rainforest communities to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":51998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[107,144,150],"project_tag":[],"class_list":["post-52556","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-2025-en","project_category-21-06-en","project_category-22-06-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/52556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52556"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/52556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53058,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/52556\/revisions\/53058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"project_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_category?post=52556"},{"taxonomy":"project_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africologne-festival.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project_tag?post=52556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}