Umana NIWENSHUTI

“The spirits of my ancestors wander in this place,” remarked Phula Mukara, my key research partner, during our initial visit to a local heritage site. When I inquired about his meaning, he explained that the spirits of his people “haven’t been helped to rest” yet. This research has two primary aims. Firstly, it seeks to create a performance inspired by Mukara’s profound statement. Secondly, it aims to document disappearing knowledge of a traditional community ritual intended to help spirits find rest and promote healing. The engagement method, rooted in the idea ‘running very deep,’ will involve developing dances and songs through conversation with humans, and non-humans in carefully selected sites across Africa. This method adopts a more-than-human lens, interweaving (auto)ethnographic critical reflections with data generated through ‘performance practice.’ Key outcomes will include a ritual performance and a publication of reflexive analyses exploring the ritual performance and its potential benefits for mental wellbeing.