Project Description and Development

In this second video from the project by multidisciplinary artist Alida Esmail, she traces the origins of the project and describes its different phases.

Drawing on her family lineage from India’s Muslim communities, through Africa, to Canada, Alida would like to delve deeper into the experiences of her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother in South Africa, experiences profoundly shaped by apartheid.

Together with Thea Patterson and Julie Tamiko Manning, she describes an initial residency in Vienna and a desire to explore her family’s African roots, the influence of which remains hidden despite its strength. From childhood memories of lying in her grandmother’s sewing room to her curiosity about contemporary dance in South Africa, Alida takes us on a journey through the twists and interconnections of the project.

Video filmed after a studio residency at the Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal and before leaving for South Africa for a five-week research residency with two South African dance companies.