And’Art Tangier

Artists, Film Makers and Musicians from Morocco, UK, Finland, Columbia, America, France, Spain and Italy came to Tangier, Morocco to collaborate in a one week residency and two day festival.

The participants were put into groups with their Moroccan equivalents to make collaborative and independent works around two given themes about the city.

The residency took place in a town called Aouama where the community has limited access to art; however artists were also encouraged to explore the main city and old medina.

Programme

Themes

The themes given were;

Theme 1- Transition.

Tangier is a place of transition. During this entire city’s history travelers have been arriving from Europe or Africa and accost here leaving their past for an uncertain future.

Theme 2- Contrast between the pace of life.

Tangier is a city where the industrial part is developing day after day. Part of the city is following this trend, while another part is still stuck in an old and traditional way of Moroccan living.

Audience Development

The residency took place in the Old Medina, Tangier and Aouama.

Old Medina: This is a place full of history. We felt that the presence of the participants was important to gain inspiration and new ideas around the themes given.

One of the final events also took place here, for the community to view and also to promote Aouama and the theatre ‘Mohamed Haddad’, a place where some locals had never visited.

Participants took the opportunity to work with local associations such as Darna, a local orphanage to produce art as well as working with the children.

Aouama: The majority of the work as well as the final event took place in Aouama. Here holds a community that has limited access to art and therefore we felt that our presence there had a beneficial impact on the community.The only theatre in Tangier is based amongst this community.

And’ Arts residency helped to promote and encouraged locals to interact with this artistic communal space. Local associations worked alongside us, such as Darchabab, the local community centre and the governmental theatre.

The wall mural took place inside Darchabab, giving locals the opportunity to interact with our international participants as well as having their say to what they wanted to see on the wall mural.

Work was also made outside the theatre, for example one artist in resident involved the community by casting body parts such as ears and fingers whilst an inviting interactive installation was created outside the theatre entrance, therefore creating a greater impact on the region as well as using local ateliers to help create work. We also invited the community to see rehearsals as well as having open studio afternoons for the community to view the residency.