Easter Theatre Festival Pro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAlvegeccvM

MAPEACOCKS ANTICIPATE MORE IN LEAD PROJECT By Innot Fumban Phiri Jnr.

The team on skate Board

Art is a powerful apparatus, a great key for social change as Mapeacocks representatives in Lead project jets in last Saturday from Germany, after spending six days in the city of Bremen. The interaction comprises of team leaders from nine countries; Germany, Israel, Malawi, Uganda, Brazil, South Africa, Ukraine, Bosnia and Tunisia.

The arrived on Saturday through Munich Airport, then Bremen City. On Sunday morning the group went on mountain hiking which drive on the purpose of knowing each other, in a centre of people different countries with different ethnicity, there was a need to know each other and cultural interaction in order to move out with the project. In the Evening it turned into more comprehensive presentation where by Mapeacocks out beat every country.

Lydia & Jacky During Presentation

The presentation was more critical but much creative as Mapeacocks turn the paper work into a theatrical atmosphere. At the end Malawi’s presentation was outstanding and much appreciated by all countries. The presentation continues in the following day which was closed by South Africa. Based on the theme “Leadership Education and Development” has been insight from sustainable development goals. The group were equipped with leadership skills and project management in readiness for the project.

Mountain Hiking

After the workshop the group given tusk in different groups to work on sample project as a preparatory test. After two years two years the project will turn into a five years project as team leaders will lead their respective country. Lead project is being executed by Lead Peer International.

The end was filled with partnership, interaction and exchange of idea by my Malawi and Egypt. As the team leaders return home last Saturday, Mapeacocks see the project as a good kirk start. Next is B1-seminar which will take place in July in South Africa.

MAPEACOCKS SET FOR GERMANY LEAD PROJECT By Fumban Innot Phiri Jnr.

Off the stage, less talking of art but let’s discourse about youth and leadership a subordinate topic which you can gain as a student of Solomonic theatre class. In that effort from Mapeacocks two students under theatre class were selected to take part In 2017 and 2018, "Peer-Leader-International" qualifies 20 young people who work as team leaders in *non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Germany and 9 countries of the global South including Malawi.

To the left Is Jack Msumba and Right is Lydia Banda

Aware and fair project started in 2013 here in Malawi the project is being run by Solomonic Peacocks theatre and two years after Solomonic Peacocks introduced Theatre class where they mentor youth in theatre, leadership and Entrepreneurship. From the Theatre Class; Lydia Banda and Jack Msumba were selected as team leaders of the project representing Malawi. The LEAD project will run for two years from 2017 to 2019 and it is involving countries like Germany, Ukraine, Bosnia, Israel, Tunisia, Egypt, Uganda, Malawi, Republic of South Africa and Brazil.

These team leader will have to give out a presentation based on a theme “Leadership Education and Development” There will also have symposium and presentation and trainees will go through different workshops like; Theatre introduction, Skills lab Video Editing and filming, Project Management and Creation.



During Blantyre Arts Festival, Lydia to the right and Jack on the middle of the two maidens

The main aim of the project is train young people to become future leaders of civil society organizations in their respective countries. They have to become catalysts of change that we want to see in the world by creating global citizens. The development of leadership competences, intercultural competences and competences for the management of North-South youth initiatives and networks local and international, in direct encounters and through the use of media and understand globalization and sustainability concepts.

Lydia standing during kukhala kundende play

Solomonic has been in front of driving youth into a centre of leadership through art under the theatre class, in 2013 and 2015 Solomonic Peacocks theatre travelled with Chichiri sec students to Hannover in Germany and Poznan in Poland respectively under Ware and fair project. With this background enrich the power of driving the lead project into a greater benefit of the youth of Malawi and global at large.

Jack on The Great Famine Play

Lydia and Jack will present what we call contemporary theatre in storyline a furrowed to the theme; “Leadership Education and Development” “Set in a remote village of northern region of Malawi, the Inkosi land two love birds set to unite families from two different tribes. The Story visualize some traditional dance and other Malawi’s cultural elements” This presentation has just outline the uniqueness and creative mind from what they have been drilled under the theatre class.

Despite this Lead project Lydia and Jack has been involved several projects under Solomonic; Mindset Change, Theatre for Education, other arts festivals and intercultural competences, with this experience, it will help them to contribute a lot in this Lead project.


Jack  and Lydia as Romeo and Juliet

They will depart from Malawi on 7^th April, Friday and return on 14^th April. The conference will take place in Bremen, about 10 countries will converge in Bremen to approve own ideas in different fields of practice, getting to know different perspectives and areas of focus of the partner organizations and applying the learned. Just to highlight on the theme; Leadership Education and Development, the focal areas of educating the youth to become future leaders towards sustainable development goals.

MAPEACOCKS ON THEATRE FOR CHILDREN By: Mwai Wiseman Kadzandira

The pupils on dancing performance

A very beautiful and brighter day of 4^th April 2017, a day were by Mapeacocks met handsome and beautiful young gentlemen and ladies from St Patrick’s Academy (primary). The toddlers had a lovely morning a morning full of joy and fun in overall they had a rousing morning.

At exactly 8:30 am the fun began by teaching the young ones theatre games the likes of ‘’ I PEPETA’’ this is a theatre game where by a person enters on the middle of the circle made by the people and starts a song and the others copies in short it’s a do as I do kind of game, the kids loved this game because it was their time to shine they had to show their free styles and it was played amazingly and they were easy to cop up.


Mapeacocks actors teaching pupils fro St Patricks Academy dance

The second game it was ‘’TOMATO SAUCE’’ a game played in a circle as well and you pick the one you love among the circle, this was a kind of tough game to them because scanning the mind of the kids they were thinking if a boy chooses a girl their friend would laugh at them thinking that they are….. You know kids staff but as they were going with the game they were in the lane and they loved playing it with a little bit of a shy face. Then it came the moment where the kids could recall you back when you were good at humanities and languages, but when it came to Mathematics you always land on tough time and on 4^th April 2017 you could put yourself in those cute kids. By the time the Mathematics teacher walks in the class room and say

‘’the English teacher is not coming today so I will double his periods and then will go for a short break and then will come to my period’’, eish!!!! Was the only word you could hear coming from the pupils who were not Math lovers no wonder they were getting shoes sizes (32,) (36)… And telephone operators line codes (01%), (02%), (08%) and (09). When the Mathematics game was introduced to them the kids were like eish!! The kids thought they will be given a Mathematical test or something but it was a game of adding numbers using the body, ‘’how is it possible’’? That was the question they asked one another but after seeing the demo the kids were surprised and they loved to learn it and the brighter wises were able to predict the next move, 4+4= 8 writing the 8 using the body it was the funniest part of all. Arithmetic a subject which most people wished it wasn’t in their syllabus you could feel the pain the kids had when they held of Math.

More dance practice with the kids

After having fun with the games the kids were privileged to watch a Zimbabwean dance by Solomonic Peacocks, a dance which is performed during farming season, and the kids loved the dance and they wanted to learn it and an opportunity to learn the dance was given to them. They were split in two groups and they were helped by the Peacocks. To my surprise these kids picked the moves easily and I can call them fast learners.

At the end of all the kids watched an amazing performance from Solomonic, they staged a play in titled ‘’ THE RYTHM’’ a short play written by Bright Makina and Directed by Mc Arthur Matukuta, the play talks of a young girl who was mocked by her friends on her dancing career and physical appearance she was inspired by one of the performance she once watched by Shikala dancing group.

Children enjoying the Performance by Mapeacocks

She was encouraged by her uncle that she can be what she wanted to be and her career was the best selection and after hearing the inspiring words from her uncle she was happy and she had the courage that she can do it after having a role model in the house her uncle who was the best village dancer in the way back, as lucky was on her side she helped the group leader of Shikala who dropped the ATM Card on the road and she was given a business card and she was asked to call the group leader and have more talk of her dancing career, her friends were surprised to see Regina the girl they used to mock wearing the Shikala dancing group costume, they couldn’t believe she had joined the group as things got eviler-worse Shikala dancers were given a scholarship and to tour in Europe and Regina was given a special scholarship to study dancing in The United States of America. Her friends judged the book by its cover.

Last Dance

 the kids were a wonderful audience and they loved the play and it encouraged them that they can be what they want to be in life without any mockery words from anybody. Theatre for children is one of the best and marketable theatre in other countries, Solomonic Peacocks Theatre has started a step forward in promoting Theatre for Children in Malawi, thanks to our partners Jacaranda Cultural Centre for bringing St Patricks’ Academy kids.

MAPEACOCKS TO STAGE ‘’ THE RYTHM’’ By Fumban Innot Phiri jnr.

A setup for folktales

“Panali!! Panali! The Rhyme” Panali is a Zambian Nyanja name that means ‘’Once Upon A Time’. Expressions performs different Panali is for children and their parents or guardians. The stories vary from stories about baboons and monkeys to the ones where they talk about human relations and interactions. In this modern epic world where the culture of story-telling has disappeared, children lives in reading culture only for literally understanding not literature.

Solomonic Peacocks Theatre in-Conjunction with Jacaranda Centre merge to revive the cultural of literature in form of reading and drama. This coming Tuesday Mapeacocks will stage a contemporary play titled ‘’ THE RYTHM’’ at Jacaranda Cultural Centre at 10am the show will be special patronize by pupils from St Patricks’ Academy. The play is in a form of children’s theatre

time for interactions and workshops

 The Rhyme is story of girl who has craving in dancing but faces a lot barricades, despite all obstacles of getting to her passion but still never give up in fighting for her passion till she finds it…  The play engages the audience in such a fashion that they themselves form part of the story by being invited to take part in creating there choices.

Students from St Andrews High School and Jacaranda

Mapeacocks has pockets of Knowledge yet intriguing storytelling theatre piece, told through the eyes of the children. It pokes fun at learners-ship and how it behaves in positions of choices. It leaves pebbles of wisdom without parable narrative that speaks in a fragile young ones.

previous workshop with students by Mapeacocks

This is not the first time for Mapeacocks to interact with pupils at such level, it was just last January when they held theatre workshop with pupils from St Andrews high and Jacaranda Secondary School. Solomonic Peacocks theatre aims at improving theatre from grassroots level in all corners of Malawi and across the globe.

KNOW YOUR STATUS GET TESTED FOR HIV by: Mwai Wiseman Kadzandira

Mpira mu Nsalu was stripped on public by the sex workers, he was not expecting the girls would do that, to him it was hit below the belt. This is a short play performed by Solomonic Peacocks at Misesa Community in conjunction with Malawi Aids Counselling and resource Organisation (MACRO) a Malawian non-governmental organisation that provides quality HIV prevention and treatment services to individuals, families and communities through static and outreach outlets in order to reduce HIV transmission and the impact of HIV and AIDS in Malawi under the theme “KNOW YOUR STATUS GET TESTED FOR HIV”.



Delivering the message

Mapeacoks in Action

disseminating information on HIV testing

MACRO has been sub contracted by Management Sciences for Health (MHS) to provide HIV testing and counselling services in Blantyre.  The play parleys of the mind-set which most people have in the community of not having a responsibility of not knowing their status some they have a fear of doing it while some they judge themselves that they have the virus and they give up and continue their way of prostitution, so the play is here to reverse the thoughts of those people who think they have the virus but they haven’t gone any testing procedure and they should know their status and encourage those that have the virus that it’s not the end of their world but the beginning of a new life.

The performance itself it was amazing it attracted the attention of the audience and it was beyond our expectations with the response of the audience they loved watching it and they wanted more of it and at the end the actors and Solomonic Peacock’s Administrator Mwandipa Chimaliro were thanked by some of the MACRO officials for the play hence it carried the message they wanted, the play was staged by the cast of 7, 3 girls and 4 boys respectively.

MACRO is on a get tested and know your status campaign which they are touring the country so that the majority should know their HIV status. The play was directed by McArthur Matukuta Solomonic Peacocks.