Let’s keep in touch!
The latest news of the Metis Fund, delivered straight to your inbox!
‘People will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.’ MAYA ANGELOU
Republic of the Congo | 2024 | Slam, Theatre
Can theatre improve water quality?
Improving living conditions for residents of a peripheral neighborhood in Brazzaville through theatre — this is the goal of the project developed by the company Gare aux Pieds Nus – Fabrique Culturelle, in partnership with La Congolaise des Eaux. The initiative is built around a community-driven process of collective reflection on the challenge of accessing safe, high-quality water.
Can theatre improve water quality?
A major challenge: access to safe drinking water
The Sadelmi district faces a persistent crisis regarding access to potable water. Due to vandalism of the water network, insufficient investment, and aging infrastructure, residents are forced to travel long distances to obtain water. This situation impacts their daily lives, particularly for women and children, who face health risks and economic constraints linked to purchasing water.
While the extension of the drinking water network has improved access for thousands of people, lasting change requires direct community engagement and strengthened collective involvement around water-related issues.
Artist
Sylvie Dyclo-Pomos (author, director),
Sylvie Dyclo-Pomos (author, director),
Partners
Gare aux Pieds Nus – Fabrique Culturelle, La Congolaise des Eaux (LCDE), Mfilou Town Hall, Sadelmi Police Station
Gare aux Pieds Nus – Fabrique Culturelle, La Congolaise des Eaux (LCDE), Mfilou Town Hall, Sadelmi Police Station
Participants
8–10 workshop participants, 5,000 spectators
8–10 workshop participants, 5,000 spectators
Agency
AFD Congo-Brazzaville
AFD Congo-Brazzaville
A performance co-developed with residents and employees of La Congolaise des Eaux
37
theatre workshops held over 3 months
10
performances in different locations
5,000
spectators reached
Drawing from workshops and interactions with local participants, the author and director created a performance involving residents and employees of La Congolaise des Eaux.
Led by Gare aux Pieds Nus – Fabrique Culturelle, the project uses artistic expression to encourage constructive dialogue around water management. Over three months, theatre workshops brought together around ten participants from the neighborhood to collaboratively build a play reflecting their realities and concerns.
After an initial phase of discussions and testimony-gathering, author and director Sylvie Dyclo-Pomos, alongside director Alphonse Mafoua, guided participants in writing and performing an immersive theatre piece. Through 37 workshops, the play took shape by integrating the voices of residents and water professionals, including representatives of La Congolaise des Eaux (LCDE).
The project resulted in 10 public performances, held in emblematic venues across the neighborhood such as Gare aux Pieds Nus – Fabrique Culturelle, the Mfilou town hall, and private homes. Each show gathered nearly 500 spectators, reaching a total audience of about 5,000 people and contributing to a shared understanding of water management practices.
Explore also…
