This Friday, the Rif Association for Amazigh Theatre in Al Hoceima and Magh Space in Brussels are presenting their collaborative artwork titled “You Are My Mirror” in the Moroccan city. This initiative stems from an artist-in-residence program with five creators hailing from Morocco and Brussels across the Mediterranean region. Backed by entities such as the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication along with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation in Morocco, the show merges theatrical acts, poetic verses, hip-hop music, and spoken word into one cohesive piece using the Amazigh language. The event is set to take place at the Moulay Hassan Cultural Centre’s theatre venue.
As stated by the two groups heading the initiative, this endeavor represents the end result of endeavors initiated in 2023. These efforts followed discussions involving regional artists and societies in Al Hoceima alongside author Fatiha Saïdi—who is both a psycho-educational specialist and an authority on gender issues—Fatoum, a Belgian-Moroccan vocalist hailing from the Rif region, as well as cultural instructor and mentor Abderrahim Mekkaoui.
Their aim was “to provide individuals residing in remote regions the chance to immerse themselves in a fusion of cultures, emphasizing support for women who encounter heightened obstacles because of the lack or shortage of cultural facilities and restricted possibilities to take part in artistic endeavors or platforms for self-expression,” they explained to ChinPao.
Furthermore, the initiative intends to stimulate collaborative innovation using a ‘collaborative and supportive’ methodology. This effort is geared towards reinforcing the cultural link between artists in Brussels and Al Hoceima, fostering the sharing of excellent techniques and approaches.
This effort also aims to «enhance the visibility of local artists and overcome their ongoing cultural seclusion, even with recent initiatives». Additionally, one of the goals is to «merge various art forms by enabling artists to ‘express themselves through’ the rhythm of the adjoun (bendir)», promoting a musical heritage deeply anchored in tradition.
In performance, individual thoughts about identity and universality transform into a shared investigation. As “the production delves into the dangers hanging over identities—which can occasionally be fatal,” echoing Amin Maalouf’s sentiment—the performers encourage spectators to observe “how their sense of self unfolds, beginning with an empty slate and progressing via various art forms.”
The creative process has built robust connections within an intercultural and multigenerational group, particularly featuring Rifian actress Dounia Lahmidi (Noomedia) and Rifian singer-musician Abdelaziz Benhaddou, who established the Twattun collective and were trailblazers for Berber music in the region of the Rif.
The ensemble includes university researcher and poet Saïd Abbouti, rapper and spoken word performer Mathieu D’Angelo (Maky), neutral mask specialist Chaib Massaoudi, poet and photographer Yasmine Messaoudi, along with graffiti artist and rapper Djamel Oulkadi.
