Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre presents:

The Prairie Place-Ancestors Collective

Making sense of Blackness in the Prairies, of our relationship to this land, and of who has come before us. 

WHAT IS THE PRAIRIE PLACE-ANCESTORS COLLECTIVE?

In August 2021, SaB Co-Artistic Director Mpoe Mogale, reached out to incredible artists who, like Mpoe, have been trying to make sense of Blackness in the Prairies, of their relationship to this land, and of who has come before them. Together, they formed an artistic collective to explore these questions together.

WHO IS IN THE PRAIRIE PLACE-ANCESTORS COLLECTIVE?

Lebogang Disele, Cheryl Foggo, Lisa LaTouche, Mpoe Mogale and Masani St. Rose

WHERE WE HAVE BEEN; WHERE WILL WE GO? 

Our long-term goal is to undertake pilgrimages to all five settlements, which started with a pilgrimage to Breton, Alberta (founded by Black settlers in 1909), a lesser-known community with a Black History Museum. The process was quite emergent, and included a short visit to introduce ourselves to the community and land, followed by a five-day trip in August 2023 where we created site-specific works that coalesced into a Showcase for invited guests (descendants of Breton, folks from the African, Caribbean and Black Communities, as well as artists and researchers who have been doing work on Alberta’s Black history).

As a part of the Showcase, collaborators shared meals and laughter, and heard from many guests what the experience meant to them. Thomas Alexander, who is a descendant of the original 54 families that settled in Breton, said: “It was a very special day for me. Finally being able to see where my Grandfather and his two brothers settled has brought more closure to my life.”

Breton provided the collective with a model that we’re eager to implement over the next two years in a way that uniquely explores and celebrates the next Settlement: Maidstone, Saskatchewan.