{"id":3140,"date":"2026-01-14T10:47:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T09:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/?post_type=production&p=3140"},"modified":"2026-02-17T09:45:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T08:45:02","slug":"an-fara-it-has-begun","status":"publish","type":"production","link":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/productions\/an-fara-it-has-begun\/","title":{"rendered":"AN FARA (It has begun)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An Fara<\/em>\u202fis 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This powerful performance juxtaposes Kaduna\u2019s history of sectarian violence with the accelerating global climate crisis, investigating moments of ecological and political collapse. By framing environmental destruction as an encroaching \u201cAn Fara\u201d\u202f<\/em>moment,<\/em>\u202fthe work awakens a visceral sense of urgency – an alarm bell that can no longer be ignored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u202f An Fara<\/em>\u202fcall – a final warning demanding collective action.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Fara<\/em>\u202fis co-created by Mud Art and The Walk Productions and is inspired by\u202fTHE HERDS\u202f- the monumental work of public art and climate action that swept through Africa and Europe in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Fara<\/em>\u202fwill receive its world premiere at ICAF Rotterdam. 
 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CREDITS<\/strong>
Director: Amir Nizar Zuabi 
Choreography: Ochai Ogaba 
Lighting Design: Muaz Al-Jubeh 
Producers: Mud Art and Sarah Loader for The Walk Productions <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dance | Theatre | Nigeria <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Fara\u202fis 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\u2019s history of sectarian violence with the accelerating global climate crisis, investigating…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":5115,"template":"","topic":[],"editions":[606],"festival_production_types":[26],"class_list":["post-3140","production","type-production","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","edition-606","festival_production_type-main-stage-performance"],"acf":{"makers":[{"ID":6121,"post_author":"601","post_date":"2025-11-06 14:19:06","post_date_gmt":"2025-11-06 13:19:06","post_content":"\n

Mud Art Company, a contemporary dance company based in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria, creates innovative and inclusive dance performances addressing socio-cultural issues in the region. Founded in 2017 by Artistic Director Ochai Ogaba, the company aims to promote culture, peace, and unity in Northern Nigeria.\u00a0
\u00a0
Kaduna has endured sectarian violence since 2000, claiming thousands of lives and dividing the city along religious lines. Mud Art Company emerged as a beacon of hope, offering safe spaces for artistic expressions to foster healing and reimagination of the city. The company achieves this through theatre productions, public performances, and initiatives like the \"Mud Festival,\" a performing arts festival that engages local and international artists with Kaduna communities.\u00a0
\u00a0
The democratization of dance has enabled Mud Art Company to directly reach the people of Kaduna. The \"We Create Together\" monthly event invites community members to contribute to a spontaneous performance, promoting audience participation and collective healing. This open space for free expression awakens a sense of belonging, forming a community that transcends religious and ethnic backgrounds.\u00a0
\u00a0
Through research-based projects, Mud Art Company reflects the region's rich cultures and tackles pressing issues like climate change. Collaborating with local artists and institutions, the company uses mediums like live performances, film, and interdisciplinary practices. As a pioneering company in Northern Nigeria, Mud Art nurtures young talents, promotes artistic expression, and raises the next generation of artists to drive a positive narrative of the region globally.\u00a0
\u00a0
Mud Art Company's mission is to develop artistic projects promoting culture, peace, and unity in Northern Nigeria, reclaiming the region's narrative and inspiring positivity worldwide. With inclusive training platforms welcoming persons with disabilities, Mud Art Company embodies the spirit of hope and resilience in Northern Nigeria.\u00a0<\/p>\n","post_title":"Mud Art Company","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mud-art-company","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-11-06 14:53:05","post_modified_gmt":"2025-11-06 13:53:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/?post_type=maker&p=6121","menu_order":0,"post_type":"maker","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6455,"post_author":"2","post_date":"2026-01-21 14:27:09","post_date_gmt":"2026-01-21 13:27:09","post_content":"","post_title":"The Walk\u00a0Productions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"the-walk-productions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-01-21 14:33:48","post_modified_gmt":"2026-01-21 13:33:48","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/?post_type=maker&p=6455","menu_order":0,"post_type":"maker","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"edition":606,"makers_involved":"","also_interesting":""},"programmes":{"2026032520260325":{"20:30:0021:30:00":[{"id":3276,"title":"An Fara (It has begun)","type":"productions","production_count":1,"start_date":"20260325","date":[{"day_name":"Wed","day":"25","month":"March","month_abbrev":"Mar","year":"2026","timestamp":"2026-03-25"}],"time":"20:30 - 21:30"}]}},"days":["20260325"],"makers":{"6121":"Mud Art Company","6455":"The Walk\u00a0Productions"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/productions\/3140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/productions"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/production"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/productions\/3140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3822,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/productions\/3140\/revisions\/3822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=3140"},{"taxonomy":"edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/editions?post=3140"},{"taxonomy":"festival_production_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/icafrotterdam.com\/festival\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/festival_production_types?post=3140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}