Transcript Slide 1

The Asetena Pa Concert Party Project
Giving voice to
People living with HIV/AIDS
Through art
Ghana, 2006
The Asetena pa Concert Party project,
directed by Iddi Saaka and Galia Boneh
brings together 5 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
and 5 popular artists in a collaborative process
to create and perform a Ghanaian “Concert Party”
based on the personal stories of the PLWHA.
Research of the project is part of Boneh’s
PhD in “Culture and Performance”
at the Department of World Arts and Cultures
of the University of California in Los Angeles.
In this presentation, we share the process
of creation and performance.
Selection of participants
After presenting the project to a few support groups of PLWHA in
Ghana, we held auditions in which we selected PLWHA who were
talented in performing, and had interesting insights about issues of
HIV/AIDS. 3 were selected from northern Ghana, and 2 from Accra.
Kanwau
Trader in charcoal,
Mother to 4
Grandmother to 2
Elizabeth
Kenke seller
Mother to 5
Grandmother to 3
Clement
Northern Regional
Chairman of National
Association of
PLWHA, Father to 8
Sara
Seamstress
Mother to 1
Aisha
Trader in pepper
Mother to 1
HIV/AIDS Course at West
Africa AIDS Foundation
The selected PLWHA went
through a 5 day intensive
HIV/AIDS course taught by
Dr. Naa Ashiley of the West
Africa AIDS Foundation.
During the course we
learned the basics about the
virus, prevention, treatment,
stigma, testing and
counseling and PMTCT
“Before I did this course, I didn’t even
know there was a difference between HIV
and AIDS” (Aisha)
“This course helped me so much. Now I
understand my body and I realize I don’t
have anything to be ashamed of” (Sara).
Selection of Artists
After gathering several names and contacts of popular Ghanaian actors, we met
with them individually to get a sense of their personality. Eventually we chose 5 of
Ghana’s most popular actors whom we sensed would be both open and dedicated
to the project.
Kumiwaa
Concert Party Actress
Ghana National Theatre
Director of Efri Titi
Concert Party Troupe
Mother to 1
Aboloway
Concert Party Actor
Director of Aboloway
Concert Party Troupe
Father to 7
Adu Twumwaa
Concert Party Actress
Agro be so
Concert Party Troupe
Mother to 1
B.B.
T.V. star
“Fritz and Friends”
Santana
Comedian
Father to 3
Lecture for Artists
The artists also went
through an intensive 1 day
lecture on HIV/AIDS,
delivered by Mama Luu of
the West Africa AIDS
Foundation.
During this lecture the artists
expressed a lot of anxiety about
living and working with PLWHA.
Their anxiety was mainly
surrounding physical touch. Four of
them said they had never seen a
PLWHA before.
Workshop
The following week, the 5 PLWHA,
5 artists and the directors, moved
to Aburi gardens for a period of 11
days. We all stayed in the same
hotel, ate our meals together, and
worked 8 hours each day.
In the beginning, we just worked on getting to know and trust one
another, creating a cohesive group,
and feeling comfortable
with basic physical touch
When the two groups first met each other, they were polite but did
not shake hands…
By the fourth day of the workshop, we had worked through most of
our fears regarding physical touch:
After creating the initial trust, we started dealing with our
topic: We listened to each other’s personal stories, discussed
issues of HIV/AIDS and used various theatre exercises to
explore these issues in depth.
We also had some very heated arguments, which helped us
realize the “hot” topics.
Eventually we listed all the themes that came up,
and then asked each participant to mark the ones
s/he would choose for the drama.
The topic that got the most votes was the question of
disclosing ones’ HIV status to ones’ partner
On the 7th day, we wrote the storyline for the drama,
which we titled “Se Anka Eye Wo A…?”
meaning: if it were you…? (in Twi)
The drama is woven from the real life stories
of all the participants.
We assigned roles to all the participants, and during the
remainder of the 11 day workshop we rehearsed the play.
On the last day of the workshop, we performed
the concert party in the center of Aburi town.
The performance
The performance opens with
Santana, our comedian, who
breaks the ice about topics
such as sex and gender
relations, and even does a
funny - but proper condom demonstration
The drama, one hour long, is intersected with several highlife songs
played live by the Asem Pa Band
Synopsis of the drama
The story is about a woman, Adu Twumwaa, whose husband dies of AIDS. To
the advice of her sister, she goes to get tested just to prove the rumors wrong,
as she is confident they are not true. She is devastated to find out that she is
HIV+, and that her husband did not tell her his status for fear that she would
leave him. Her sister, to whom she turns for support, accuses her of bringing
shame onto the family.
Adu decides to kill herself but is saved in the last moment by her
daughter, to whom she then promises that
she is going to LIVE, and nothing will stop
her from living.
Years pass and Adu runs into Aboloway, a well-to-do handsome man who
is an old classmate, and who gave her money when her husband was sick.
Aboloway proposes to her. Adu, overjoyed, asks her sister’s advice: Should
she tell Aboloway of her HIV status? Her sister strongly advises her not to,
as he will surely leave her.
In her confusion, Adu turns to the audience and asks: What should I do?
When Aboloway comes back to meet her, one thing leads to another and…
they come back on stage arguing: Adu is begging Aboloway to use a
condom, but he refuses. Finally she tells him she is HIV positive.
Aboloway, shocked and angry, leaves her. Adu is hurt, but has already made up her
mind that nothing and nobody will bring her down.
Months pass and Aboloway meets an old friend who asks of Adu.
When he tells the story, his friend starts laughing: “What is it?
I too am HIV positive”. He then explains the difference between HIV and AIDS,
and tells him about the drugs and support groups available for PLWHA.
In the meantime, Adu gets fed up with her
sister’s treatment and the gossipers in her
town, and confronts them.
Finally, Aboloway comes to apologize to Adu. Adu and Aboloway freeze,
and one by one the other actors come on stage with the following questions:
What do you think will happen between Adu and Aboloway?
If you were Aboloway, what would you do?
If you were Adu what would you do?
If you find out you have HIV, will you tell your partner?
If your partner tells you s/he has HIV, will you leave or will you stay?
Aboloway and Adu come out of their freeze and say: We cannot give you answers
to these questions, as there are no simple answers. What we can do is tell you who
we are: We are a group of 5 PLWHA and 5 professional actors
Can you tell who has HIV and who doesn’t?
Then each of the performers says their name, their HIV status,
and a short statement about themselves. The last one is
Kanawu who says:
“I am HIV Positive. I have lived with HIV for 7 years.
Whatever you can do, I can do.
Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy.
Whatever makes you sad, makes me sad.
I don’t want your pity.”
And the music starts….
Although the story has
tragic elements, it also has
several comic moments,
and it ends with a hopeful,
empowering feeling
When the performance in Aburi was over, the
PLWHA danced proudly in the center. At first,
people just stared at them in disbelief. But
after a while, a man came into the circle,
stood in front of Elizabeth, who was dancing,
and used a 2,000 cedis note (Ghanaian
currency) to smear her whole body, from head
to toe, as if blessing her, and then gave her
the money and started dancing with her.
In no time, other people started coming into the circle and dancing with the
PLWHA. After the whole show was over, several people approached the
PLWHA asking them several questions and even exchanging phone numbers.
Sara dancing with young women from the audience, after coming out publicly
On the 27th of October, we held a special
preview for the Ghana AIDS Commission
We were very honored to have several
distinguished guests: Dr. Sylvia J. Anie,
Director of Policy of the Ghana AIDS
Commission (GAC), Eric Pwadura,
Communications and Public Relations
Officer of the GAC, Sam Anyimedu
from Ghana HIV/AIDS Network; Prof.
Nketia from the University of Ghana;
David Dontoh, President of the Ghana
Concert Party Union; Mr. Agreku and
Mr. Collins, President and Chairman of
the National Association of PLWHA; Dr.
Kofi Asante from University of Ghana’s
School of Public Health; Dr. Naa
Ashiley, co-director of the West Africa
AIDS Foundation; Reverend fathers,
University students, PLWHA, and many
others.
Prof. Nketia and Galia Boneh before the performance
David Dontoh and Dr. Sylvia Anie watching the performance
At the end of the performance, Dr. Anie (GAC) Sam Anyimedu
(GHANET), and Dr. Naa Ashiley and Mama Luu (WAAF) came on
stage and danced with the group
On Nov. 23rd we are starting a 2 week tour, during
which we will perform in 9 towns in Ghana.
4 out of the 5 PLWHA requested that we perform in their hometowns
Many thanks to the supporters and sponsors of the project:
•Philip and Monica Rosenthal
•Department of World Arts and Cultures, UCLA
•Globalization Research Center - Africa, UCLA
•Threshold Foundation, Los Angeles
•Earthways Foundation, Los Angeles
•Flourish Foundation
•UCLA International Institute
•Fowler Museum, UCLA
•Danny Elfman
And all the private donors who believed in us from the very beginning…
For more information
please visit:
www.iddiandgalia.com
Or email:
[email protected]
Photos by Kevin Kane and Galia Boneh