Intersections and Encounters

Abstract

The shadow image is the very first image used in performance. Ephemeral, elusive, present on screen yet defined by the absence of light, the shadow image is the most primitive of images. Dedicated to producing high quality arts programs for children and their families, the Haya Cultural Centre in Amman actively seeks collaborations with artists and companies from other parts of the world with an annual international theatre festival at the centre. Australian attitudes toward Middle Eastern, Arab and Islamic cultures are very often restricted and/or tainted by negative representation in the media and elsewhere. The process of creating Now and Tomorrow occurred over a two-week development period in February 2018 and a later rehearsal and production period in September 2018 leading up to performances at the Haya Cultural Centre Theatre Festival in Amman, October 2018. The establishment in 2006 of the IFTR Arabic Theatre Working Group has been crucial in informing contemporary understandings of what constitutes contemporary Arab/Islamic theatre.