GUEWEL
DIRECTED BY Lamine Sonko
“A ritual of remembering, a reflection on how everything begins, transforms, and returns”.
MAV
“Showcasing a cohort of gifted performers - dancers, musicians, ritualists - in front of lushly animated projections”
The Age
ABOUT GUEWEL
A ritual journey through an ancient African cosmovision, exploring landscapes of the soul and preparing us for life’s beginnings and endings.
In a landmark collaboration with the National Theatre of Senegal, Guewel channels deep ancestral power through primordial sounds worlds and sacred rhythmic dance, offering a reflection on our interconnected, collective human experience.
Blending traditional and contemporary music, dance, projection animation and filmed cultural landscapes, Guewel brings together ancient and new artforms in a vibrant meeting of worlds, bridging cultural and temporal divides.
CREATIVE TEAM
Director/Composer | Lamine Sonko
Producer | Olive Moynihan
Performer | Aminata Sarr
Performer | Awa Coulibaly
Performer | Ndick Sene
Performer | Abdoul Aziz Mbaye
Performer | Anita Quayle
Sound Design | Roger Alsop, Thomas ‘Soup’ Campbell
Projection Design | Rhian Hinkley
Costume Design | Lamine Diatta
Set Design | Susie Bates
Lighting Design | Gina Gascoigne
Visual Artist | Kine Aw
Assistant Directors| Bowerbird Theatre
Associate Producers | Tanya Mclaine, Sophia Kostava
Strategy Consultant | Andy Miller
The Journey
Stage One
Practice-based Research Senegal
Explored ancient African cosmovision with cultural elders and community, transforming cultural research and metaphysical knowledge systems through embodied learning.
Melbourne Recital Centre
Presented a pilot of compositions integrating cultural research and new musical techniques.
Stage 2
Arts House CultureLAB Development
Explored new approaches to presenting traditional cultural knowledge, integrating multidimensional performance elements in a participatory, experiential and inter-disciplinary process.
Stage 3
National Theatre Sorano (Senegal).
2 month residency an artistic collaboration blending ancient practices with contemporary performance
Creative Development Melbourne
Final phase of development to weave together a rich tapestry of sound, projection, and composition into an immersive experience.
World Premiere Melbourne
‘Guewel’ premiere in partnership with Senegal’s National Theatre
National Theatre
Sorano
The National Theatre Daniel Sorano, founded in 1960 at the dawn of Senegal’s independence, has long been a beacon of cultural pride and artistic innovation in West Africa. As one of the first institutions dedicated to reclaiming African identity through the performing arts, it fostered a golden era of theatre, music, and dance that resonated across the continent and beyond. In collaboration with 13.12, this legacy takes centre stage in Guewel, featuring acclaimed artists from the theatre’s two resident companies - Ballet National La Linguère and L’Ensemble Lyrique. Their exceptional command of rare and ancestral performance traditions offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the richness of West African cultural heritage. Through this powerful exchange, Guewel becomes a space for cultural transmission, international dialogue, and artistic excellence.