A few words about your artistic journey

Initially formed with the Canadian NGO Youth of the world, I then perfected my training in circus art at Faso circus and Rendez-vous chez nous; then with the Awaln’arts festival in Morocco. Finally, I participated in the creation of a show with the Jules-Verne circus from Amiens. Since then I have been a circus art trainer in several countries. Today I work with Burkina Circus.

How long have you been an artist?

I have been an artist since 2002.

Why did you apply for this grant? How will the grant support you?

With Burkina Circus, we applied to create a quality show by working in depth on the writing, the script and the staging. The grant will support us in writing and for the residency.

What are your concrete artistic objectives after this residency?

My objective is to offer a quality show nationally and internationally by participating in festivals, competitions and organizing tours with this creation.

What did you achieve during this creative residency? What is the result (created work)? Who was involved in the creation process?

We have both done writing research and set up a creative residency. Following this residency we produced a professional circus show that tells a story to raise awareness. This show involves 9 artists of circus, theater, storytelling, music and dance. We also involved Hugo Costedombre, Technical Director of the French Institute of Ouagadougou, Claudine Dussolier, member of Circostrada, Hippolyte Ouangrawa director of Théâtre de l’espoir and Moussa Ouattara coordinator of Burkina Circus.

How do you think these activities contribute to a reflection on today’s world, in relation to the COVID-19 crisis, and/or on the shaping of the future?

The show starts at the end of covid-19 and shows how we could build the world of tomorrow. Of course, there is the health crisis, but we should consider, reinvent our world of tomorrow. We have adapted it to any audience and we have let the narration illustrate the imagination. Moreover, since the circus is an art form that has the capacity to bring together all the arts and that attracts the public, we have seen the number of "likes", viewers and people affected increase.

How did you feel during the residency? And at the end of it?

We have seen the potential that art has to raise awareness. Mixing arts such as circus, theater, storytelling, dance and music is an effective fusion for good awareness. We are satisfied with the result but we will have to continue the work because there is room for improvement. We saw a potential to be able to do renowned shows like the other arts and the ability within us to make a show that will go around the world and could be performed in large theaters.