In 2015, Mohegan theatre-maker Madeline Sayet travelled to England to pursue a PhD in Shakespeare, but her voyage across the ocean became an unexpected journey of transformation. Riding the spirit wind of her Mohegan ancestors who crossed the Atlantic in the 1700s on diplomatic missions to protect her people, Where We Belong is a search for belonging in a globalized world. It is at once a rich investigation into the impulses that divide and connect us as people, but it is also about a wolf that learns how to become a bird and fly.
Where We Belong is a solo performance, written in response to Madeline’s time in the UK, studying Shakespeare. Her indigenous response to Shakespeare was not well understood, leading her to abandon the course – just as the Brexit vote was suggesting further British disengagement from a wider world. Where We Belong is a challenging piece, which Madeline will perform at Rich Mix and at Shakespeare’s Globe as part of their Refugee Week event, responding to questions of migration and belonging.
Madeline Sayet is a theatre director of Mohegan heritage. She was recently named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List in the Hollywood & Entertainment category, is a TED Fellow, a MIT Media Lab Director’s Fellow, and a recipient of The White House Champion of Change Award for her work as a director, writer, performer & educator.
Border Crossings’ ORIGINS Festival is a multidisciplinary festival showcasing the very best artistic work from First Nations communities across the globe, including indigenous Australians, Native Americans (North and South), Maori, Pacific Islanders and Inuit. The festival will bring theatre, dance, music, ceremony, visual arts, workshops, screenings & talks, as well as an extensive programme of participation & learning to London, with a strong emphasis on reaching new, diverse participants & audiences.
Where We Belong is at Rich Mix 14th – 16th June and Shakespeare’s Globe 17th June 2019.
