Frédérique Cifuentes and Sidi Moctar accompanied Kwoto on their recent trip to South Sudan, to the towns of Juba and Wau and to the camps of displaced persons around Khartoum.
They photographed and reported on the Kwoto touring Sudan and this photo-story will be exhibited at the time of their tour to London. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for the British audience to discover the Kwoto, to see images of that country, to understand where Kwoto are coming from, and images of their audience in Sudan.
The aim of the photographic exhibition is to expose a large public audience to the richness of the rites and customs of Sudan. The exhibition will promote the timeless aspects of Sudanese culture which transcend the political context, through the colourful and little known great performances of the Kwoto.
Beside the Kwoto performances in London at the International Workshop Festival, we want to use the potential of photography to depict a fantastic subject about a country which is considered as an inaccessible place to visit because of the political context. It is time for Sudan to be re-discovered through its customs, music, and dances. The role of photography is to inform, to reveal to the world riches that are hidden or ignored. The culmination of this photographic project with the performances would expose a large public audience to rites and customs of a geographic zone that has remained mysterious.
Despite what is happening in Darfur, this visual art joint project should reflect and promote the new peace and reconciliation process. Optimism is growing amongst the young people of Kwoto and amongst their audience in the camps. Focus is shifting from the past to the future and with their traditions strong, the group are looking to find ways of making new work as they and their country move forward.
"Kwoto for me is everything, unity, reconciliation. It is like a key that opens for you a new learning of aspects of other ethnic groups of southern Sudan." - Omjuma Philip Ataron, from Eastern Equatoria.
"Kwoto means to me the cultures of the southern Sudan." - Beach Louis Kual, from Lakes State.
. The BBC World Service will be covering the private view and reviewing the exhibition.
. The Kwoto dance company (15 dancers from South Sudan) will perform and entertain at the private view.
. Talks by Frédérique Cifuentes, Sidi Moctar will be organised at the private view.
Tours of the exhibition will be organise by the photographer as part of a programme of photographic workshops with black ethnic minority groups.

Riverside Studios: 8th November until 13th November 2005 Crisp Road, Hammersmith , London W6 9RL Tel: 020 8237 1000 Monday to Sunday 12 noon- 10.30pm Admission free Private view 8th November 2005 6.30pm-8pm Kwoto's performances in London are: 28th October National Theatre Foyer 18h00 free 29th October St John's Church Waterloo (opp IMAX) 20h00 £10 / £8 book 0207 261 1144 Main Funding bodies & partners : International Workshop Festival French Cultural Centre Khartoum Screenstation Sudanese Mothers For Peace