Republication on 07/04/2022 as a tribute to an artist with a warm heart for people who are struggling, not words but deeds!
"In dark times // Will there also be singing? // Yes, there will also be singing. // About dark times." - Bertolt Brecht
Tutti Fratelli is the socio-artistic workshop where actress Reinhilde Decleir has been the mentor of since 2003. For lady Decleir, it is not only beautiful intentions that matter—the world is full of those. She has been fighting against the illusion of appearances for many years. What characterizes her is action and entrepreneurial spirit. Poverty and social exclusion undermine people's self-image. They feel thrown into the garbage bin of the world. The paradox of wealth and poverty—it is striking to see this in a civilized country like Belgium. According to Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto (who situates art and the artist in social reality), an artist stands at the top of the social pyramid: this gives him enormous freedom, but for that very reason he cannot escape his responsibility.
Catalyst
For her, these are not empty words. She wants to make the invisible person visible and creates productions with less gifted and disadvantaged people to boost their self-image and support them. Looking behind the facade is important. It is not only about financial poverty, but also about spiritual poverty. Tutti Fratelli is a refuge, a place where beauty, peace and support can be found. Culture is the binding factor. Actress and theater teacher, Reinhilde Decleir, stimulates and questions them. She draws them out of their comfort zone, has them act, sing, dance, ... which results in heartwarming performances. At Tutti Fratelli, these troubled people develop an artistic language. Not just art for the elite, but also for the masses, the people. Remembering Mauriac's maxim - "Travail, opium unique" - it applies here: they can do something, they count by tapping into their artistic and creative gene. From the start, Decleir wanted their works to be seen by a broad audience. Through that path, she could also bring the problem of poverty to the outside world. People to be seen on stage at their most beautiful and at their most raw. For her tireless commitment, motivation, vigilance and unwavering faith in the people of Tutti Fratelli, Reinhilde Decleir receives widespread appreciation from the outside world and much love from her people.
We shall carry on
The magic of theater: Decleir remains fascinated by the medium. Pure theater, without all those crossmedia gimmicks. Not much is needed to become captivated. Also here in this production, We zullen doorgaan.
Originally, the performance was to take place in the open air. To counter the corona impact, a large open tent was erected in the inner courtyard of deSingel. But the weather was too unpredictable and too bleak. So everything was moved to the Red Hall. Tutti Fratelli had already performed on stage at Het Toneelhuis and the Roma, but deSingel is still a step higher for this cast. It must have felt like entering Mecca, a VIP treatment.
1+1=3
A sober setting, the lighting is diffuse, a warm dark cave. The musicians, pianist Florejan Verschueren, trumpeter Jon Birdsong, percussionist Kobe Proesmans and tuba player Tobe Wouters, provide an impressive and often moving instrumental framing with beautifully arranged pieces throughout.
Reinhilde Decleir takes the stage and informs the audience that due to corona regulations, only a limited number of singers are allowed on stage. Their number has been reduced to ten, the others sympathize from the audience. She reads a story by Hugo Claus, situated in the underbelly of society, titled Jan de Lichte, from the collection Nu Nog. Then ten singers take the stage: young, old, men, women, healthy and mobility-impaired. They perform a song program inspired by Ramses Shaffy and Bertolt Brecht: including Mackie Messer and the Kanonensong in an Antwerp translation. The entire cast is in full swing. The songs catchy in an old fashioned way. There is ensemble singing with clenched energy, but everyone also gets his or her solo part, his/her moment of glory. The underlying subtleties in the songs prompt reflection. Songs in which love is yearned for and with hard-hitting texts from hopeless people: "First eat and then morality". The sung notes are not always crystal clear, the high notes often sound shrill. But you admire the naturalness and pride with which they stand on stage, no tension. It is a mix of finesse (musicians) and intensity (singers). The whole cannot be called grand or heroic, but it has great charm. All singers carry their vulnerability as a vital organ outside their body with them. There is also respect towards each other. The lady who is mobility-impaired has been given a seat at the back among the musicians. For her solos, the singers in front make way so she gets full focus. As the closing song, the compelling We zullen doorgaan by Ramses Shaffy. Hopefully for a very long time. Theater gives these people the chance to rise above everything that has gone wrong for them in life. On stage they blossom.
- WHAT: We zullen doorgaan
- WHO: Reinhilde Decleir & Tutti Fratelli
- WHERE: deSingel, Antwerpen
- WHEN: Sunday 4 October 2020