Bougsemtenga neighbourhood brings Récréâtrales theatre festival into courtyards

The 14th edition of the Récréâtrales theatre festival is bringing performances and other cultural activities into the Bougsemtenga neighbourhood of Ouagadougou, with residents hosting events in their family courtyards.

The festival runs from October 24 to 31. Bougsemtenga residents have co-produced Récréâtrales since its creation, helping make the neighbourhood a central part of the event rather than simply a venue for performances.

Community-led performances

Among the festival’s activities are readings, performances for young audiences, public discussions, musical evenings and theatre productions. Events are being staged in family courtyards as well as on open-air stages in the streets.

Choreographer Djibril Ouattara has worked since February with women and young people from Bougsemtenga on the opening production, Les Mouches. The performance explores the idea that humanity is expressed through the ability to respond, care for others and create space for beauty.

Ouattara said the neighbourhood setting allows artists to work with people whose movement traditions and experience may differ from their own.

“You meet people who are not at all familiar with the kind of dance you know. They have their own dance. So you have to create with them,” he said. “That means setting aside your own knowledge and drawing on theirs instead.”

Agathe Serré, a member of the Bougsemtenga Women’s Association and an amateur actress, has performed at the festival since 2006. She said rehearsals with Ouattara demanded commitment from the participants.

“We were worried because with Djibril Ouattara, you have to give everything. You can’t give just a little; you have to give it your all,” Serré said. She added that the group completed the production and would perform it again if given the opportunity.

A stage through the neighbourhood

The festival’s alleyway has been transformed into a 550-metre-long urban stage. The installation was created by 68 technicians and artists from 12 countries.

The programme is scheduled to continue each day from the morning into the early hours through October 31, extending the festival’s activity across the neighbourhood and into the night.

Professional actor Claude Ilboudo, also known as “Gohou”, grew up with Récréâtrales and participated in performances as a child. He said the festival provides opportunities for young people through volunteering and involvement in dance, theatre and technical production.

For Ouattara, staging the festival within Bougsemtenga has a wider cultural purpose. “The idea of bringing the festival into the neighbourhood is incredibly powerful. It makes art accessible to everyone,” he said.