Tarik travels to South Africa & Botswana to connect with queer African artists

“As a queer artist with mixed/black heritage, I am personally and professionaly invested in the diversity of lived experiences of queer Black and brown people across the globe.”

In October 2019, The Marlborough Theatre’s co-founder and Artistic Director Tarik Elmoutawakil travelled to South Africa and Botswana on a British Council-supported trip to connect with queer African artists.

Tarik’s work has for the last 10 years largely been focused on making creatively engaging spaces that centre marginalised people, whether through intersectionally mindful programming at The Marlborough; producing an ‘un-conference’ in The Black Joy Sessions​; or imagining and curating the hugely successful Afro-futuristic performance party, Brownton Abbey.

“I met artists from across various artforms, from visual arts to live/performing arts to textile design and fashion, as well as writers and also community event organisers. If I had to draw a common thread that ran through the artists/organisers messages in their work, it would be one of uplifting and empowering messages for marginalised people (through race, sexuality, gender and gender expression), exposing injustices and signposting ways to navigate them.”

You can read more about the many artists and creatives that Tarik met on his trip in his report for the British Council.

Download Tarik’s report >

Photo: Tarik Elmoutawakil (centre) with South African designer Chix Phetoe (left) and Melanie Kalay (right) in Soweto