DCS Rwanda-Sri Lanka Collaboration is an ensemble-based production that offers a parallel reading into the colonial and post-colonial histories of Rwanda and Sri Lanka.

The play is based on the interviews of the DCS project.

Runtime
1 hours and 30 minutes

Language
Sinhala, Tamil, English

DCS Rwanda-Sri Lanka Collaboration is a devised play created by Sri Lankan and Rwandan artists.

It is based on the DCS project which interviews the generation born in the 1930s and converts their stories into performances for contemporary audiences. Senior citizens of both Rwanda and Sri Lanka were interviewed for this production.

The play opened at the 1st Ubumuntu Festival of Humanity in Rwanda in 2015, with the support of Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company, Rwanda, the Esufally Foundation Sri Lanka, Rohith Peiris and The Sri Lankan community in Rwanda, Ubumuntu Festival of Humanity, Azra Jafferjee and Christoph Feyen, Avanti and Murtaza Esufally.

It was later toured to Sri Lanka, India and Jammu-Kashmir in 2016.

“The actors conquered the stage and the audience by flaunting the flexibility of their bodies and their measured, energetic movements. They became symbols of history, of a generation, whose value is often forgotten; whose memories are not well documented or archived.”

- Anila S. K., The Sunday Times

Written & Directed by
Ruwanthie de Chickera

Production Design
Jayampathi Guruge

Original music composition
Ranil Goonawardene

2015 Cast
Rwandan Team-
ALEXIA MUPENDE
ANDY FRED
MUNVESHURI INNOCENT
ABDOUL MUJYAMBERE
CLAUDIA SHIMWA

Sri Lankan Team-
NILMINI BUWANEKA
PRADEEP GUNARATHNE
AKALANKA PRABHASHWARA
PRAMILA SAMARAKOON
SANJEEWA UPENDRA
PEMANTHI FERNANDO
JAYAMPATHI GURUGE

2016 Cast
Rwandan Team-
ALEXIA MUPENDE
ANDY FRED
MUNVESHURI INNOCENT
ABDOUL MUJYAMBERE
CLAUDIA SHIMWA

Sri Lankan Team-
PRADEEP GUNARATHNE
AKALANKA PRABHASHWARA
PRAMILA SAMARAKOON
SANJEEWA UPENDRA
PEMANTHI FERNANDO
JAVAMPATHI GURUGE
NIPUNI SHARADA PATHIRAGE
RUVIN DE SILVA
ARUN WELANDAWE-PREMATILLEKE
GEHAN BLOK
BIMSARA HATHARASINGHE

Creative Directors
Ruwanthie de Chickera (Stages Theatre Group)
Hope Azeda (Mashirika Performing Arts & Media Co.)

DCS Rwanda-SL Collaboration - Resource Pack (English)

DCS Rwanda-SL Collaboration - Resource Pack (Sinhala)

DCS Rwanda-SL Collaboration - Resource Pack (Tamil)