New Vic Borderlines’ My Thousand Year Old Land (A Song for BiH) will bring the beauty, music and culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina to audiences this July, telling a story of the search for truth, justice and hope through three generations of women.
Written by Bosnian war survivor Aida Haughton MBE and New Vic Borderlines Director Sue Moffat, the play, performed on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 July at the New Vic, is based on survivor testimonies from the genocide and war crimes that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The testimonies are complemented by traditional folk songs and poetry which examine what it means to have roots, and to feel the connections between land and people.
Following the play audience members can leave their own message of humanity and solidarity on postcards which will be sent to the women of Bosnia and Herzegovina to let them know they are not alone.
New Vic Borderlines Director Sue Moffat said: “I wanted to bring the beauty, stories, music and culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina to our audience so that they can feel they have got to know about a land and its people. The familiarity created through the play will breed a feeling of connectiveness. We will notice the way laughter sounds the same in every language and that the love we have for our mothers, sisters, fathers and brothers feels the same for every person wherever they are born, whatever the language they may speak or the beliefs they hold. The play is about the connections that we make as social creatures, and through those connections the empathy and understanding and responsibility we have for each other.
“The play is based on the experiences of real, ordinary people and how the everyday ordinariness of their lives, their hopes and dreams, were devastated by deliberate brutal acts against them collectively. It is about how through hearing their stories we can stand with them in their on-going fight for truth and justice.”
To complement the My Thousand Year Old Land production, New Vic Borderlines is hosting a ‘Seeds of Peace’ Conference on Tuesday 12 July from 10.00am to 3.00pm. The conference will explore concepts of peace, how to create it, and the role that hope plays in building peaceful futures.
My Thousand Year Old Land (A Song for BiH) will be performed at the New Vic on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 July. Tickets are on sale now, priced at £10.00 (£6.00 for Concessions). For more details and to book, call the Box Office on 01782 717 962 or head here.
For more information about the ‘Seeds of Peace’ Conference email Aida Haughton MBE at AHaughton@newvictheatre.org.uk.