Out of the shadows, they come.

A throng of dancers, speakers and musicians all dressed in distinctive black and white. 

Their pale faces reflect the moonlight.

Top hats and shirt tails move in time with the beat of the drums. 

The streets become the stage.

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Deblozay (“Bedlam” in Haitian Creole) is a performance by internationally renowned outdoor performance company, Rara Woulib.

In the Summer of 2022, company Rara Woulib created a spectacular, mass participation event in Hounslow town centre. The event included participation from local artists in the creation of the event, and singers from the community became a chorus walking alongside the parade. This Summer event will become a feature of Hounslow's cultural scene. The ambition is to develop and evolve the relationship with the company to deliver an annual project.

This night-time trip through the memory of Hounslow and its inhabitants combined theatre, image and choral soundscapes together in an energetic, vibrant, immersive performance that unearthed and celebrated the ‘lost memories’ of Hounslow and its communities.

Touring Hounslow from Innwood Park, through the back streets, alleyways, and public squares, bringing to life dark corners and enlivening the mundane, everyday streets and shopping areas.

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Rara Woulib are a company based in Marseille, France. The company is made up of people from different backgrounds (social workers, cooks, medical personnel, musicians, construction workers, technicians, etc.) with a range of different areas of expertise. It has an original creative approach, exploring the boundaries of society, reinventing the creative process for each work, and constantly expanding the performance space. It brings theatre into the city: connected to local residents, it includes work on the Greek chorus that reveals the bodies and voices of ordinary citizens, their explosive power and their fragile balance.

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This exhibition features photography by Vipul Sangoi.

Vipul Sangoi is a photographer, multi media artist and a communication designer. His photography has been exhibited and published internationally. He has photographed performances at the Bell Square since its inception as a performing arts space.

@vipulsangoi

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Visit the exhibition at Heston Library during usual library opening hours. 

This exhibition is part of Creative People & Places Hounslow’s Visual Arts Programme of exhibitions and events in libraries and cafes across the borough. 

To get involved, please contact daisy@watermans.org.uk or visit https://hounslowvisualarts.org.uk/

About Creative People & Places Hounslow

This project has been curated by members of the Hounslow Exhibitions Group, formed of members of the local community in collaboration with the Creative People & Places Hounslow Visual Arts Programme, which presents new and original exhibitions in libraries, cafes and other public spaces across the borough. CPP Hounslow is a consortium led by Watermans.

Visit www.hounslowvisualarts.org.uk for more information.