Mapeacocks: THIS IS THE GENESIS by Mapeacocks

World Congress at Cape Town City Hall

As he set for Cape Town on Tuesday 16^th of May, Malawian youth will anticipate more from his trip as he will explore more from 19^th Assitej Conference which is taking place in Cape Town South Africa. ASSITEJ SA invited Fumban Innot Phiri from Malawi under Solomonic Peacocks Theatre to participate in the Next Generation Residency Programme at the 19th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival, Cradle of Creativity, in Cape Town in May 2017.

The Next Generation, Phiri in the middle down.

ASSITEJ is the international association of theatre for children and young people, and operates in more than 100 countries. ASSITEJ is committed to engaging young and emerging artists and professional theatre-makers from all over the world interested in Theatre for Young Audiences. The ASSITEJ Next Generation Residency Programme is designed to create new opportunities for learning and to enable international exchange and collaboration between younger artists. Artists in the residency will be able to view productions, take workshops, participate in discussions and attend a variety of Focus Day sessions related to different themes within Theatre for Young Audiences.

“Talking of theatre for young people this is the beginning and a good way to start is by export as talented youth to be exposed across the world of theatre” Solomonic Executive director explains. Now the question is who is Fumban Innot Phiri jnr. In the Malawian theatre books.

Fumban Innot Phiri is an Actor and a Script Writer at Solomonic Peacocks Theatre and currently being trained as a theatre director under Solomonic peacocks’ theatre class and studying Journalism at the University of Malawi-The Polytechnic. Off stage Innot has worked widely in theatre super vision and is the Festival Coordinator of National School Youth Arts Festival and a Part Time director of theatre in several high/secondary schools.

Fumban is also a poet and has compose about 15 poems, His motivation is to help install the creative arts in Malawi as tool of development. On the stage Fumban has worked as both actor, playwright and director. He has performed about 10 majors’ plays and write approximately 30 productions to date.In 2015 he shakes the stage of Blantyre Culture Centre during Blantyre Arts Festival with a play titled “The Marauding Beast” despite being the main actor in the play he was also behind paper and pen of the script.

Fumban During African Playwrights Presentation

Now let’s forget about his background and more talk on what he will bring from Assitej. Today is on his 7^th day at Cape Town.

“Days are few but a lot has been taking place, as quickly on the opening day there was a lot before it kicks off. At the main event venue all delegates from different countries across the world converge at Arts-Cape theatre for the first show Animal Farm by Shakexperience Theatre from Johannersburg, South Africa then at 15hours we board buses to Baxter Theatre Centre which is 25 kilomtre away for the opening ceremony” Phiri explains…

“As being part of the next generation of this festival there is more for my country in just 7 days I went through five workshops from; Theatre For Education, Theatre for Healing, Physical Theatre and to Theatre for Social change and there is more to experience here at cape town” From what he says there is hope for Theatre in Malawi to revive.