2019 Winner
Faustin Linyekula
for his creative use of dance and other art forms to educate, motivate and, inspire people to understand their history and to change their futures
Profile
Faustin Linyekula is a dancer, choreographer, director and storyteller and founded the Studios Kabako in 2001. Now located in Kisangani, Studios Kabako is a space dedicated to dance, visual theatre, music and film. Its aim: to both address artistic and aesthetic issues and foster professional skills through research, creation and circulation. It provides training opportunities for artists, management, and technical staff with a focus on nurturing artists to explore new ideas and collaborations both at home and abroad.
Infusing poetry into daily life, Linyekula’s work tells stories about Congo and how the troubled history of the country has dramatically affected the individual journies of its people. Within the Studios Kabako, Linyekula created 18 pieces that have toured worldwide in Europe, Africa, Australia, South and North America. Alongside fostering younger Congolese artists in the field of performing arts, music and film, Studios Kabako is also working with communities of the Lubunga district in Kisangani on the south bank of the Congo River, namely around the matter of drinking water, environmental and sustainability issues, as well as education. Several educational and training programs dedicated to children and young adults in the community have been implemented since 2015 and a water treatment pilot unit was launched in 2018. Learn more
