Yvette Hutchison – författare

This book offers a compelling intersectional exploration of how disability is understood in relation to citizenship and global critical disability studies across diverse African cultures. It delves into the transformative power of integrated dance as a medium to challenge and reshape dominant social attitudes toward disability. Through detailed case studies of Dance into Space (Kenya), FLATFOOT and FLATFOOT Downie Dance Companies, Unmute Dance Company (South Africa) and Ugandan choreographer Joseph Tebandeke, the authors examine how contemporary dance can foster inclusive citizenship. Drawing on Foucauldian theory, the book highlights how ‘small moments’ in everyday life may be explored through dance in ways that shift paradigms and redefine ability and belonging. It also analyses the role of networks and festivals in expanding integrated dance that impacts public perception of disability both within Africa and globally. This book will resonate with students and scholars in theatre studies, disability studies, African studies and critical Black studies, as well as anyone interested in performance as a tool for social change.

This volume uniquely draws together seven contemporary plays by a selection of the finest African women writers and practitioners from across the continent, offering a rich and diverse portrait of identity, politics, culture, gender issues and society in contemporary Africa.Niqabi Ninja by Sara Shaarawi (Egypt) is set in Cairo during the chaotic time of the Egyptian uprising. Not That Woman by Tosin Jobi-Tume (Nigeria) addresses issues of violence against women in Nigeria and its attendant conspiracy of silence. The play advocates zero-tolerance for violence against women and urges women to bury shame and speak out rather than suffer in silence.I Want To Fly by Thembelihle Moyo (Zimbabwe) tells the story of an African girl who wants to be a pilot. It looks at how patriarchal society shapes the thinking of men regarding lobola (bride price), how women endure abusive men and the role society at large plays in these issues.Silent Voices by Adong Judith (Uganda) is a one-act play based on interviews with people involved in the LRA and the effects of the civil war in Uganda. It critiques this, and by implication, other truth commissions. Unsettled by JC Niala (Kenya) deals with gender violence, land issues and relations of both black and white Kenyans living in, and returning to, the country.Mbuzeni by Koleka Putuma (South Africa) is a story of four female orphans, aged eight to twelve, their sisterhood and their fixation with death and burials. It explores the unseen force that governs and dictates the laws that the villagers live by.Bonganyi by Sophia Kwachuh Mempuh (Cameroon) depicts the effects of colonialism as told through the story of a slave girl: a singer and dancer, who wants to win a competition to free her family.Each play also includes a biography of the playwright, the writer’s own artistic statement, a production history of the play and a critical contextualisation of the theatrical landscape from which each woman is writing.

This volume uniquely draws together seven contemporary plays by a selection of the finest African women writers and practitioners from across the continent, offering a rich and diverse portrait of identity, politics, culture, gender issues and society in contemporary Africa.Niqabi Ninja by Sara Shaarawi (Egypt) is set in Cairo during the chaotic time of the Egyptian uprising.Not That Woman by Tosin Jobi-Tume (Nigeria) addresses issues of violence against women in Nigeria and its attendant conspiracy of silence. The play advocates zero-tolerance for violence against women and urges women to bury shame and speak out rather than suffer in silence.I Want To Fly by Thembelihle Moyo (Zimbabwe) tells the story of an African girl who wants to be a pilot. It looks at how patriarchal society shapes the thinking of men regarding lobola (bride price), how women endure abusive men and the role society at large plays in these issues.Silent Voices by Adong Judith (Uganda) is a one-act play based on interviews with people involved in the LRA and the effects of the civil war in Uganda. It critiques this, and by implication, other truth commissions.Unsettled by JC Niala (Kenya) deals with gender violence, land issue, and relations of both black and white Kenyans living in, and returning to, the country.Mbuzeni by Koleka Putuma (South Africa) is a story of four female orphans, aged eight to twelve, their sisterhood and their fixation with death and burials. It explores the unseen force that governs and dictates the laws that the villagers live by.Bonganyi by Sophia Mempuh Kwachuh (Cameroon) depicts the effects of colonialism as told through the story of a slave girl: a singer and dancer, who wants to win a competition to free her family.Each play also includes a biography of the playwright, the writer’s own artistic statement, a production history of the play and a critical contextualisation of the theatrical landscape from which each woman is writing.

Ten new short plays by African women tackling taboo topics on identity, gender, sexualities, family relations and power.Following the international success of Contemporary Plays by African Women, this new collection is the next step in the African Women Playwright Network (AWPN) both showcasing and encouraging the development of new work.Consisting of the ten winners of the AWPN's international writing competition, this collection is centered around the theme of 'Tackling Taboo Topics in African Female Writing', originally performed as staged readings at the AWPN Festival hosted by the University of Ghana in 2022. Selected from 75 submissions from nine African countries, these plays speak to contemporary and pressing issues, illuminating lived experiences of African women that are common but seldom discussed.An important resource for schools and universities looking to diversify and decolonise curricula and engage with short works for practical classes, performances and auditions from a range of various cultures, Gendering Taboos is also an invaluable tool for programmers looking for new work and scholars working specifically in areas of gender and dramatic criticism.