Mamela Nyamza consistently places her personal biography as a black African lesbian mother within the general debate about the failed rainbow nation of South Africa, where racism and machismo are both regaining strength along with the divisions between high and tribal culture. In ›Black Privilege‹, she focuses her attention on the hypocritical structure underlying our societies in which everyone is permanently judged and pre-judged. Switching back and forth between a ritual summoning up unrecognized heroines of the African struggle for independence and a court process holding powerful figures to account for their horrific deeds, she provocatively blurs the boundaries between spirituality and the law.

"Black Privilege looks at how you can be celebrated, but still be crawling on the floor. How you can have a PhD, but still be unemployed. It was partly inspired by unthanked heroes like Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and it is essentially asking questions" (Mamela Nyamza)

European premiere
No dialogue

Introduction 45 minutes prior to show
Artist talk 23rd of August after the performance

Choreography, Dance: Mamela Nyamza Stage Design, Video, Light: Wilhelm Disbergen Dramaturgy, Dance: Sello Pesa Costume, BodyPaint/Makeup: Linda Mandela-Sejosingoe Production manager: Wilhelm Disbergen Co-production: PACT Zollverein (Essen), National Arts Festival (South Africa) Commissioned by the Ruhrtriennale Presented by PACT Zollverein for the Ruhrtriennale