Amareya Theatre & Guests and Higaza Theatre Perform for Decolonizing Futures
The Higaza theater group consists of seven members: Haruka Higa (director), Sayo Yamazato (Choreographer), Hiroya Tokumoto (video editor), Aya Taira (artist), Hiroko Nakamura (actor), Hisanori Kizawa (actor), Yoshinao Hiyane (musician). Since 2008, they have been producing plays in the traditional Ryukyuan languages “Uchināguchi”, performing at community centres, schools and welfare facilities, and holding workshops and exhibitions. They also perform for free in nursing homes.
The primary purpose and distinctive feature of Higaza's activities is the preservation of war experiences. They collect testimonies from survivors of the Battle of Okinawa and use these accounts as the basis for their scripts. Consequently, they have performed numerous pieces centred on themes of war, such as 'Kanpoo nu Kweenkusaa' (Survivors of the Battle of Okinawa in English), which is to be performed at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha on 11 July. Second, Higaza's activities, which utilize a wide range of Ryukyuan languages, go beyond mere theatrical performances and play a significant role in the preservation of Ryukyuan culture and peace education. Haruka says: 'Against the backdrop of our activities, Okinawa is a place where the people, languages, traditions and nature have nurtured us. However, although Okinawa still has a unique history, languages, traditions and nature, these are on the verge of being lost.'
Amareya Theatre & Guests (https://www.teatramareya.pl/), based in Gdańsk, Poland, made a powerful impact across Europe in 2014 with their performance "Nomadic Woman". The piece was based on the true story of Louise Fontaine Najavaraq, a Greenlandic Inuit woman who was stripped of her native language and lost her sense of identity due to Denmark’s assimilation policies. Combining music and video with a creative performance rooted in Japanese Butoh, the work shed artistic light on the buried history of colonization in the remote region of Greenland. Between 2018 and 2022, Amareya made regular visits to Hokkaido, premiering new works each year in collaboration with Ainu Women's Association—such as "Requiem for Ainu and Kamuy"—and expanding the expressive possibilities of Ainu culture.
They are eager to premiere a new piece titled “UNA” at Atelier Mekaru Base in Naha on 11 July. The work is based on concepts developed by Inuit artist Louise Fontaine Najavaraq and transgender artist Apayauq Reitan, with choreography by Katarzyna Pastuszak and Natalia Cylińska. According to the artists, "UNA" is a ritualistic art performance that draws on Inuit concepts such as inua (essence) and sila (spirit, environment) to reclaim lost traditions and awaken feminine power. The aim is to inspire transformation and resistance against the injustices perpetuated by patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. It will be exciting to see how this work takes shape. Notably, Katarzyna holds a PhD from the University of Gdańsk for her research on Hijikata Tatsumi, the founder of Japanese Butoh. The three photos below are from the performance "Nomadic Woman" by Amareya Theatre & Guests.
