Danseurs Citoyens Sud

115 Avenue Mohamed Ali, 6000 Gabes, Tunisia

contact (at) o-dcs.org

MISAHAT PROGRAM

The piece honors the initiative, "Say her Name" keeping the memory of Refka Cherni, and all women who have been silenced by violence---- we will continue to say their names. Title - HER NAME IS SARRAChoreographed by Heather Harrington in collaboration with the dancers; Sara Zaltni, Salah Magtouf, Sami Hamami, Yassine Belgacem, Eslam Hammadi, Nadia Tlich, Ali Belwafi, Dali Rtimi, and Jacem Said Artistic Director - Ahmed Guerfel Music - Aymen GoubaaCostumes Mohamed Amine Hamouda Made possible by Dancers Citizens South with the support of the US Embassy.Harrington wants to thank both Dancers Citizens South for making this piece possible through their tireless work and devotion to the idea that art and creativity matters in making society free and just, and to the dancers who gave themselves, their spirit and body wholeheartedly to this piece. The piece lives because these creative young people bring it to life. All of this creation happened in 5 days, crossing language barriers, age, culture, dance styles; ending in "Her Name is Sara." The performance took place in May 24th 2023 at 7PM in Municipal Theater of Sfax. #DCS#USEmbassy#MISAHAT

π™³π™²πš‚ πšŠπš›πšŽ πš™πš•πšŽπšŠπšœπšŽπš 𝚝𝚘 πš’πš—πšπš˜πš›πš– 𝚒𝚘𝚞 𝚘𝚏 πšπš‘πšŽ πš˜πš™πšŽπš—πš’πš—πš 𝚘𝚏 πš›πšŽπšπš’πšœπšπš›πšŠπšπš’πš˜πš— πšπš˜πš› πšπš‘πšŽ πšπš‘πš’πš›πš πšŠπš›πš πšŒπšŠπš–πš™ πšπš˜πš› 𝟸𝟢𝟸𝟹, πšŠπš—πš πšπš‘πš’πšœ πšŠπšŒπšπš’πšŸπš’πšπš’ πšπšŠπš•πš•πšœ πš πš’πšπš‘πš’πš— πšπš‘πšŽ πš™πš›πš˜πšπš›πšŠπš– 𝚘𝚏 πšŠπš›πš πšŒπšŠπš–πš™πšœ πšŠπš—πš 𝚌𝚘-πšŠπš›πšπš’πšœπšπš’πšŒ πš™πš›πš˜πšπšžπšŒπšπš’πš˜πš—, πš πš‘πš’πšŒπš‘ πš πš’πš•πš• πš‹πšŽ πšœπšžπš™πšŽπš›πšŸπš’πšœπšŽπš πš‹πš’ 𝚊 πšπš›πš˜πšžπš™ 𝚘𝚏 πš™πš›πš˜πšπšŽπšœπšœπš’πš˜πš—πšŠπš• πšŠπš›πšπš’πšœπšπšœ πšπš›πš˜πš– πšƒπšžπš—πš’πšœπš’πšŠ πšŠπš—πš πšŠπš‹πš›πš˜πšŠπš πš’πš— πšπš‘πšŽ πšπš’πšœπšŒπš’πš™πš•πš’πš—πšŽπšœ 𝚘𝚏 πšπšŠπš—πšŒπšŽ, πš–πšžπšœπš’πšŒ πšŠπš—πš πšπš‘πšŽπšŠπšπšŽπš›. π™΅πš˜πš› πšπš‘πš˜πšœπšŽ πš πš‘πš˜ πš πš’πšœπš‘ 𝚝𝚘 πš“πš˜πš’πš— πšπš‘πšŽ π™³π™²πš‚ πšŠπš›πš πšπšŠπš–πš’πš•πš’ πšŠπš—πš πš™πšŠπš›πšπš’πšŒπš’πš™πšŠπšπšŽ πš’πš— πšπš‘πš’πšœ πšŽπš‘πš™πšŽπš›πš’πšŽπš—πšŒπšŽ, πš™πš•πšŽπšŠπšœπšŽ πšŠπš™πš™πš•πš’ πš‹πšŽπšπš˜πš›πšŽ π™ΌπšŠπš’ 𝟸𝟷, 𝟸𝟢𝟸𝟹. πšπšŽπšπš’πšœπšπš›πšŠπšπš’πš˜πš— πš•πš’πš—πš”: https://forms.gle/CTCNQXFyhY3cPNPJ7

The piece honors the initiative, "Say her Name" keeping the memory of Refka Cherni, and all women who have been silenced by violence---- we will continue to say their names. Title - HER NAME IS SARRAChoreographed by Heather Harrington in collaboration with the dancers; Sara Zaltni, Salah Magtouf, Sami Hamami, Yassine Belgacem, Eslam Hammadi, Nadia Tlich, Ali Belwafi, Dali Rtimi, and Jacem Said Artistic Director - Ahmed Guerfel Music - Aymen GoubaaCostumes Mohamed Amine Hamouda Made possible by Dancers Citizens South with the support of the US Embassy.Harrington wants to thank both Dancers Citizens South for making this piece possible through their tireless work and devotion to the idea that art and creativity matters in making society free and just, and to the dancers who gave themselves, their spirit and body wholeheartedly to this piece. The piece lives because these creative young people bring it to life. All of this creation happened in 5 days, crossing language barriers, age, culture, dance styles; ending in "Her Name is Sara." The performance took place in April 27th 2023 at 7PM in 4Γ¨me ART. #DCS#USEmbassy#MISAHAT

From February 25 to March 1st, 2023, a series of 15 art performances were held in five regions of southern Tunisia: Gabes, Medenine, Djerba, Sfax, and Tataouine. These performances were the culmination of an Artistic Bootcamp held in Gabes at No Name Artistic Studio Lab, where a group of artists came together to create a street art performance that reflected their perspectives on Tunisia's current social, political, and economic realities. The performances were a combination of dance, theater, and music, and they aimed to share their vision with a message of acceptance, inclusion, and unity with different communities. Each performance location had its own distinct cultural and historical significance, adding to the overall experience of the audience. GABES: The first three performances were held in Gabes governorate at No Name Artistic Studio Lab, Matmata, and 2 March Square in Beb Bhar. The performances received a mixed response from the audience, with some expressing genuine emotion and others shouting violent words at the performers. Despite this, the artists persisted, and through their powerful and moving performance, they left a lasting imprint on those who witnessed it. SFAX: The performances in Sfax governorate took place in three different locations: 100 meters street in Sfax Center, Mahres region,

Aspiring amateur and professional artists had a rare opportunity to showcase their abilities and skills in performing arts at the Artistic Bootcamp in Gabes Governorate, held from February 20 to 24. Hosted at DCS's No Name Artistic Studio Lab private center, the bootcamp provided the ideal place for artists to delve into their work and bring their creativity to life. The bootcamp brought together a diverse and unique group of 9 participants from various regions of Tunisia, including Gabes, Tunis, Monastir, and Sfax. Despite their differing viewpoints, they shared a common goal: to create a work of art that reflected their perspective toward the current social, political, and economic realities. Under the guidance of Mr. Tarak Bouzid, a highly regarded choreographer, the group underwent a rigorous program that deepened their artistic skills and created a street performance that would captivate and move audiences. Participants were encouraged to explore diverse techniques and approaches to dance and performance, and to push the boundaries of their own creativity. The final piece was a representation of the artists' life experiences that served as inspiration, emphasizing the need for certain individuals to be accepted and recognized in their society. The performance was a powerful statement on their current

From 14 to 17 February, we had the privilege of hosting the Belfallegui Bootcamp - a unique opportunity to engage with hard-to-reach older people in the south of Tunisia and discuss the problems facing their communities. Led by expert facilitator Houcine Rhili, the bootcamp was a resounding success, with participants sharing their experiences, learning from others, and brainstorming innovative solutions to the challenges facing their communities. The Belfallegui Bootcamp aimed to open a safe space among hard-to-reach communities, particularly the elderly population, in the four southern regions of Gabes, Medenine, Tataouine, and Sfax. Through open and honest dialogue, we hoped to motivate these communities to share their viewpoints and take an active role in shaping their regions's destiny. The bootcamp was held in four different regions: Matmata in Gabes, Ezzahra in Tataouine, Medenine City, and Sfax City. Each session involved interactive discussions and activities, led by experienced facilitator Houcine Rhili. Participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, learn from others, and brainstorm innovative solutions to the challenges facing their community. In conclusion the Belfallegui Bootcamp was an incredible opportunity to empower Tunisia's marginalized communities and promote open dialogue. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to facilitator Houcine Rhili for his

Experience the power of art and activism with MISAHAT NOON, the unforgettable artistic boot camp that brought together young dancers from different regions of Tunisia to the Magrebian Youth Complex in Tataouine from January 4th to 11th, 2023. This activity aimed to empower young people to use their talents to make a difference in the world. Led by American choreographer and contemporary dancer Heather Harrington, participants participated in workshops and rehearsals aimed at exploring different aspects of violence against women and raising awareness about women's rights, drawing inspiration from the revolutionary movement of Martha Graham. Throughout the week, the participants not only honed their dance skills, but also had the opportunity to expand their knowledge in other performing art fields. They were introduced to music producing with sound engineers Aymen Goubaa & Arij Jaouachi and learned about human rights history with rights activist Badr Baabou. The bootcamp brought together young people from all regions of Tunisia, providing them with a platform to not only showcase their talents, but also to come together and learn from one another. The diverse group of participants brought their unique perspectives and experiences to the table, making for a truly enriching and meaningful experience.

The role of women in society has been a topic of much discussion and debate in recent years. Despite progress in some areas, women still face many barriers to achieving equal representation and opportunities in various fields. Virtual reality (VR) technology has the potential to be a powerful tool in challenging these societal norms and empowering women. Our organization during the project of Misahat Noon funded by US Embassy in Tunisia, worked on exploring this potential in an innovative and immersive way. We selected one female dancer from the dance school and filmed her performing various dance styles, including modern, contemporary, hip hop, and belly dance. The footage was converted into a VR experience by a virtual reality expert and sound effects were added by a sound engineer. 40 diverse candidates were then selected to live the VR experience, while their physical and psychological reactions were measured using various tools. their physical reactions were measured using a machine that played the same role as a polysomnography machine, recording breathing rate, airflow, oxygen levels, and heart rate. Meanwhile, facial recognition software was used to observe participants' moods, impulses, and emotions. The data collected from these observations was analyzed to generate reports on the