MOYRA CECILIA SILVA RODRÍGUEZ

London, UK

SHIFT+SPACE Residency | 10-11.11.2023 | Theatre Deli London 

‘UPROAR is an unique, personal and
exciting piece of work, shedding
important light on the political crisis
in Peru. Although, the project extends
beyond that in bringing collective
voices together through movement
and incredibly unique costume’.

Esther Hallas

(Theatre Deli London producer)

Uproar by Rieckhof – Silva Collective
Peruvian immigrant artists living in the UK started collaborative and arts-based research practice intertwining movement, sound, costume and social justice.

The actual political crisis and last social outbreak in Peru, between December 2022 and March 2023, is a reflection of unattended colonialism issues such as classism, discrimination and racism. As Peruvian immigrants, far from our country we saw with pain and impotence the rising of a dictatorial government which invisibilized the death of more than 50 peruvians. 

“Andean society had a ritual response that united populations in a common prayer where sharing the pain gave them the strength to continue living” (Millones, 2007)

We were inspired by Taki Onkoy, an ancient tradition of rebellious dancing against colonial oppression.  This tradition resonated with the need to share, and embody (cry, and dance) the pain and injustice of our country. Exploring a singing/dancing disease known as Taki Onkoy, helps us to create a healing ritual. Through this performance, the struggles, frustrations and suffering were transformed into  movements. A movement that is constantly trying to rise but continues to fall, in an endless cycle.

During the outbreak in Peru (2022-2023) civilians -specially- from indigenous communities who practised their right to protest were  killed, discriminated against and their rights violated in hands of the police and military forced led by President Dina Boluarte. Therefore, our project seeks to generate dialogues between migration, distance, mourning, protest  and collective experience. The project empathises with social justice whilst creating a ritual engaging the audience in this process. How to invite the audience to empathise with our pain and join our grief?  We researched ways of interacting with the audience as means to connect with those who were not familiar with the Peruvian crisis, however they could understand that the value of life should be equal for all, as the right to protest.