Fragments of Us

by Talawa Theatre Company

Dance

“Fragments of Us” is an evocative outdoor performance that unfolds in a natural setting, inviting audiences to stumble upon a tapestry of personal narratives expressed through the powerful fusion of dance and spoken word.

Centred around a cast of Black boys and men, this intimate production explores themes of identity, resilience, vulnerability, and the beauty of shared experience.

Through fluid movement and poignant poetry, the performers reveal fragments of their stories – snapshots of joy, struggle, love, and loss – that resonate deeply within the collective human experience. As the dancers weave intricate formations, they invite moments of happenstance, encouraging engagement with select audience members. These spontaneous interactions create an intimate dialogue, prompting participants to reflect on their own life stories and connections. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast captivates the wider audience, striking a balance between the personal and the communal. With rhythmic beats and soulful expressions, “Fragments of Us” not only showcases individual narratives but also celebrates the strength of brotherhood and the collective history that shapes their identities.

In a world that often overlooks the beauty of personal storytelling, “Fragments of Us” serves as a reminder of the power of vulnerability and the richness of community, leaving audiences moved and inspired by the shared tapestry of life.

Four black male dancers with a city scape background.

An image of 3 male performers sitting on a gate in an outdoor space. Two of the performers have covered their heads with a headscarf and hood, and one of them is wearing a hoodie with his back to the camera.

An image of a group of black male performers lifting up another performer in a city scape space.

About Talawa Theatre Company

Talawa is the UK’s outstanding Black British Theatre Company. Their purpose is to champion Black Excellence in theatre; to nurture talent in emerging and established artists of African or Caribbean heritage and to telling inspirational and passionate stories, reflecting Black experiences through art like no other.

Creation and Production Credits

FUBUNATION

FUBUNATION is a London based organisation founded in 2017 by Rhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada with the vision of adding to Black culture by creating more visibility and representation for dancers of colour in contemporary dance. Their objective is to build more diversity in the audiences that come to theatres and other dance platforms. Their movement language combines contact improvisation forms with influences of Hip Hop and African dance styles.

Since their debut performance at the Festival of Alternative Theatrical Expression in Croatia 2017, FUBUNATION have toured their work Ruins throughout the UK, Europe & West Africa whilst developing their new ensemble work Black Is.. which premiered at Sadlers Wells in 2021. FUBUNATION continues to gain international recognition and they aspire to represent their cultural experience as a people in a way which reflects the everyday experiences of all people. Having predominantly worked in film and live performance, the company embraces collaborations across all art forms in order for the work to be accessible to a global audience.

Sonia Hughes

Sonia is currently an associate artist to Festspillene i Nord-Norge in Harstad. Previously she collaborated with Quarantine as writer, performer, co-creator including their award-winning Susan & Darren and Wallflower. She also wrote Jeremy Deller’s Manchester International Festival’s 2017 opening event, What is the City, but the People?

What do we want?!… Is a poster exhibition of people’s desires for a proximate Utopia, made for the Great Exhibition of the North with Lisa Mattocks. Jo Fong and Sonia have devised Neither Here Nor There, it delves into the heart of people’s everyday life, where they live, what makes them cross, what can they do and in the end what really matters. Essentially a series of questions and conversations between the audience.

Her current work I am from Reykjavik, is an outdoor live installation, part protest, part performance proposes that Sonia is allowed to be anywhere and all her multiple identities can be present and for all of that to be welcome. It had it’s premiere at LIFT and was co-commissioned by LIFT, SPILL, Jerwood Arts in association with SPRING (Netherlands), FiNN (Norway), ILT (Denmark).

The recent work marks out new territories for the artist – addressing the complexity of big ideas but close up with audience key to the action.

‘I want to make work with a disarmingly simple premise, which throws light on the intricacies of both our everyday lives and global affairs.’

Funding, commissioning and partner credits:

Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Birmingham Weekender, Stockton International Riverside Festival and Brighton Festival. Original commission support by Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.