A powerful cross-cultural ensemble performance comes to The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi this Septmeber
A decade after its groundbreaking premiere at the first Ubumuntu Arts Festival in Rwanda, Dear Children, Sincerely: Rwanda–Sri Lanka Collaboration makes its way to The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi this September.
This evocative and deeply moving ensemble performance, directed by acclaimed Sri Lankan playwright Ruwanthie de Chickera, revisits the post-colonial trajectories of two nations, Rwanda and Sri Lanka, through the powerful lens of memory, storytelling, and intergenerational dialogue.
This collaborative production, created by Stages Theatre Group (Sri Lanka) and Mashirika Performing Arts (Rwanda), weaves together oral histories collected from elders born in the 1930s; people who lived through colonization, independence movements, civil unrest, and war.
The stories; poignant, humorous, and tragic; offer a rare opportunity to witness the emotional and historical parallels between two countries geographically distant yet strikingly aligned in their post-colonial legacies.
The performance features three original stories:
Story One – Seven Decades Deep: A historical journey from 1930 to 1990, alternating between Rwanda and Sri Lanka, capturing key moments of upheaval—colonization, resistance, displacement, and genocide.
Story Two – My Family Marriage: A light-hearted cultural piece, comparing and blending traditional wedding customs from both countries, offering insights into love, family, and identity across generations.
Story Three – Upside Down Land: A harrowing, poetic portrayal of the societal collapse that can result from sustained terror, conflict, and anarchy — drawing from the brutal experiences of war and violence in both countries.
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Originally developed as part of the Dear Children, Sincerely (DCS) theatre research project, this was the first full-scale performance born from the initiative.
Since 2015, the DCS project has collected life stories from over 70 senior citizens across different countries, transforming 25 of them into theatrical performances that preserve memory and bridge generational gaps.
Now, in 2025, the international cast returns for a special reunion performance at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, bringing their powerful storytelling to new audiences in the UAE.
With performances on September 26 and 27, this is a rare chance to experience a theatrical work that is not only artistically rich but also politically and emotionally resonant; shedding light on forgotten histories while asking vital questions about memory, trauma, and healing.
Don’t miss this stirring, cross-continental collaboration; a testament to resilience, remembrance, and the enduring power of theatre.
AED52.50. 26-27 September,The Black Box, The Arts Center. For further information, visit The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi
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Image credit The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi