“When we think of the DRC, we think about civil wars and famine,” says KVS artistic director Jan Goossens. “But what people here don’t understand is that Kinshasa is a globalised city right at the heart of Africa, and it has a vibrant cultural scene. It is bursting with artistic dynamism. What we have managed to do is create a platform so that performers can show their work. People in Kinshasa live in difficult conditions, but the 10-day festival reaches 8,000 to 10,000 people.”

The festival, which takes place in Kinshasa this month, has now become one of the most important cultural events on the African continent, hosting artists from other countries and attracting international interest. “Congolese performers no longer need to develop their work solely in a local context,” explains Goossens. “Choreographers like Faustin Linyekula can establish their own international reputation and perform in other European festivals. They have become visible on the international scene.”

The festival also embraces photography and video arts. “There are some very talented young artists working in this field and, while our emphasis is on the performing arts, we have been supporting them over the last few years by exhibiting their work at the KVS,” says Goossens.

This year’s Connexion Kin will show work by photographers Sammy Baloji and Kiripi Katembo, already familiar to KVS visitors. There will be a new play by the sublime satirist Dieudonné Niangouna. Linyekula presents Drums and Digging, and the magnificent Dinozord is also on the programme.

From South Africa, dancer-choreographer Boyzie Cekwana, artistic director of the Durban Dance Theatre, will present new work, and Brett Bailey’s company Third-World Bun Fight are showing their adaptation of Macbeth prior to a tour of European festivals.

Among the Europeans heading for Kinshasa next week are Brussels documentary-maker Manu Riche and his critically acclaimed film Snake Dance and Brussels video artist Walter Verdin (Timbila Tracks). P.A.R.T.S graduate Marlene Monteiro Freitas presents a new choreography, and Flemish playwright/novelist Tom Lanoye will read from his work in a series of public encounters and workshops with Congolese playwrights.

Right to perform

The festival is the most visible aspect of KVS’s Contemporary Arts Platform, which continues throughout the year through a non-profit in Kinshasa. The government of Flanders helps to fund the platform, but there is no funding for culture from the Congo. “Performers wake up every morning not knowing if they will eat in the evening, but they know that they have dedicated their lives to art,” says Goossens. “Some people tell us we should be using money to build schools and hospitals. But I find that patronising. The Congolese also have a right to become artists and performers.”

The initiative has attracted other European collaborators such as the Institute Français, the Goethe Institute and the TheaterForum Festival in Hannover. It’s a major achievement for KVS and the final word should go to Goossens before he heads for Kinshasa: “What I’m most proud of is that the cultural scene in Kinshasa has become an integral part of the KVS programming. Brussels and Kinshasa are not separate; they are linked. Brussels also has a vibrant arts scene among the Congolese community. We are a city theatre, and it has become the norm for us to work with this community. This should have been the case for the last 30 years, but the Congolese presence has not been reflected in our politics and culture. We have changed that.”

Check KVS’ 2013-2014 season programme for details on Connexion Kin productions in Brussels

www.kvs.be