An Fara is a haunting phrase from Kaduna, Northern Nigeria – historically spoken to signal fight or flight in moments of imminent danger. Once chanted, it triggers an instinctive ritual of survival, signifying the fragile threshold between life and death.
This powerful performance juxtaposes Kaduna’s history of sectarian violence with the accelerating global climate crisis, investigating moments of ecological and political collapse. By framing environmental destruction as an encroaching “An Fara” moment, the work awakens a visceral sense of urgency – an alarm bell that can no longer be ignored.
Through dance and theatre, the production tells the story of two systems collapsing as one: the ancestral spiritual practices and the natural world. Long intertwined, both now stand in a state of emergency, triggering the dreaded An Fara call – a final warning demanding collective action.
An Fara is co-created by Mud Art and The Walk Productions and is inspired by THE HERDS - the monumental work of public art and climate action that swept through Africa and Europe in 2025.
An Fara will receive its world premiere at ICAF Rotterdam.
CREDITS
Director: Amir Nizar Zuabi
Choreography: Ochai Ogaba
Lighting Design: Muaz Al-Jubeh
Producers: Mud Art and Sarah Loader for The Walk Productions
Dance | Theatre | Nigeria