Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lemauricien
Published on 2024-02-21 12:00:23
In an interview with Le-Mauricien, Ashish Beesoondial, artistic director at the Caudan Arts Centre (CAC), gives an overview of the cultural industry in Mauritius. “It is continuously evolving and very fast, which is why we need to talk about learning for a cultural institution like ours,” he said. He also discusses the main lines of the program for this year, including, among others, La Folle et inconvenante histoire des femmes, by Laura Léonie, on February 23 and 24. He also emphasizes that the CAC has an inclusive approach in its commitment to the development of art and culture in Mauritius. “The idea is to open up the space to everyone,” he said. Finally, as a producer and theater art enthusiast, Beesoondial believes that “theater has such an impact that it can create a real link between people and the arts.”
The CAC has entered its fifth year of activities. What has been the evolution of the center? “The term ‘evolution’ is crucial when we talk about the CAC, because it is with time that we have learned which events should be part of our program. We are always in learning mode because we continue to discover our audience and their cultural habits. Are they young? Expatriates? The general public? What do they like? It’s not easy! The cultural industry in Mauritius is still evolving,” Beesoondial said.
There is a whole range of entertainment: theater, dance, performances on TikTok, television… It is constantly evolving and very fast, which is why we need to talk about learning for a cultural institution like ours. We started our operations in December 2018, a period when we had to face direct competition: shopping. At the end of the year, everyone has the same thing in mind. After five years, in December 2023, we can say that, even though shopping remained a priority, we were much more confident about our December programming.
As for our audience throughout the year, it is diverse, depending on the nature of the show. There are regulars, but for a show like that of the French comedian Gérémy Crédeville, it is a specific audience: they are often Francophone and Francophile, know him through television. They may not come to see other shows, as they are happy to be at home and watch their TV shows.
“What products do you offer?” “They are varied. In addition to concerts and theater, we wondered what else we could develop. That’s how other projects have been added to what we already offer. We wanted to add an educational aspect to what we do by opening The School. Marie Ange Koenig joined us to offer theater classes. There is a lot to do in terms of art education in Mauritius. This is done in private schools.”
“At the time I was at the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), we worked on the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) with the inclusion of art in the school curriculum. In practice, this may not be quite the case. At CAC, we offer two theater classes that last ten months: one for adults and one for young people. We start in February and we offer a show at the end of the year.”
“Last year, we staged Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol for children and an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House for adults. It was a challenge, because there were four people playing the same character: we bring experimentation into the group, which gives us a lot of freedom. Storytelling is another flagship activity that we will offer again this year. Last year, we worked on the legend of Pieter Both. This was a turning point. Some had never heard of it. We realized that our local stories are dying. In the past, grandparents played an important role in transmitting these local folklore stories to children. Nowadays, that is no longer the case, and it is important that the young generation is connected to its history so that it can have a sense of belonging. At the end of March, with an internal team, we will produce Tizan’s stories. The target audience will mainly be children and young people.”
“We have also integrated fine arts into our activities with the participation of local artists. Right now, we have the Vaco project, which includes an exhibition and various activities around his art and Mauritian art as a whole. There is a whole symbolism behind it. The exhibition has been visible since December 1st and will end on October 30th of this year. Ridwaan Hosany, who painted with Vaco, conducted workshops for children in December. More are planned soon. We will also soon welcome a ravane workshop, led by the Abaim group; another on writing Morisien Creole by the novelist Mélanie Pérès; and another on eco-crafts, by Katty Laguette. We wanted to bring art in all its forms while maintaining a Mauritian soul.”
What about the projects that you host from outside? Do you have a view on them? “When the CAC was established, the goal was to make our contribution to the local cultural scene. Artists come to us with their projects, we look at what it is before accepting. Sometimes we work with them to refine it. At first, we were more careful, but now it’s easier. We know who does what. For us, the idea is to open up the space to everyone and to offer a diverse program to welcome different audiences. It is important to find this balance when we are a private cultural institution like ours. As I mentioned, it is all a learning process. We talk a lot with our different audiences to get to know them better and to know what they will appreciate. Two questions animate us, starting with ‘will the audience like it?’. And then, what is the relevance of our contribution in the arts and culture sector? This is fundamental for good programming, and we are not there just to offer space. There is a whole richness in the sector.”
“For example, when we host Alexandre Martin, all fans of Mauritian Kreol comedy will come. On the other hand, when it’s O Re Piya, Bollywood fans will respond. While La Folle et inconvenante histoire des femmes by Laura Léonie, which the CAC will present on February 23 and 24, according to a production by Productions Trois, will cater to another audience. It will be a more educational play that will raise awareness of the evolution of women’s situation over time. So, we host local productions, foreign productions, and produce our own shows, sometimes in collaboration with an external producer, like Les Productions Trois.”
So, do you advocate for an inclusive approach? “Yes, as much as possible, because we are a private institution and activities and shows are paid. As much as possible, we try to practice a pricing policy that is accessible to all audiences. In an ideal world, I would have liked us to benefit from more sponsorship from companies, or that we could benefit from government support, given that we contribute to the dissemination and development of art and culture in Mauritius. However, this may be complicated, especially in a difficult post-Covid economic context.”
“Do you encourage Mauritians to do theater?” “Yes, both children and adults. What struck me in the previous classes is that several people were doing theater for the first time and they joined without any problem. In the class, we make a difference between ‘drama’ and ‘theater’. ‘Drama’ is the whole process of understanding what is happening. Participants work on self-understanding first, their emotions, the strong moments, whether of happiness or sorrow, that they have experienced. This exploration that allows them to grasp their deepest emotions is a crucial step in training because in the end, the actor must be able to exploit his own emotions. You need to be connected to yourself because theater is…”
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
