an fara
An Fara is a haunting phrase from Kaduna, Northern Nigeria - historically spoken to signal fight or flight in moments of imminent danger. Once chanted, it triggers an instinctive ritual of survival, signifying the fragile threshold between life and death.
This powerful performance juxtaposes Kaduna’s history of sectarian violence with the accelerating global climate crisis, investigating moments of ecological and political collapse. By framing environmental destruction as an encroaching “An Fara” moment, the work awakens a visceral sense of urgency - an alarm bell that can no longer be ignored.
An Fara tells a story of two systems collapsing as one: the ancestral spiritual practices and the natural world. Long intertwined, both now stand in a state of emergency, triggering the dreaded An Fara call - a final warning demanding collective action.
MUD ART COMPANY
Founded in 2017, The Mud Art Company emerged from a deep-seated need to foster healing in a fractured world. Kaduna, our home in Northern Nigeria, has endured decades of ethnic and religious conflict, resulting in the loss of countless lives between 2000 and now. The pain of this division, which has physically, politically and socially divided the city into two regions; Muslims predominantly living in Kaduna North and Chistians in Kaduna South, separated by a river and a bridge, has inspired a group of six dancers to dedicate their lives to using dance as a tool for peace, unity, and justice.
The company was born from this experience: to create safe spaces for artistic expression and to actively confront the social, political, and environmental issues that define our landscape. We recognized that the conflict in Kaduna mirrored the broader socio-political divides across Nigeria and even the world. The prevalence of these global conflicts continues to shape our shared reality.
Through research and creation, The Mud Art Company explores Nigeria’s history and heritage, particularly that of Northern Nigeria. We develop projects that address complex social issues linked to the loss of cultural practices and the urgent need for decolonization. Using dance, theater and film, we engage communities across Africa and organize events including the annual Mud Festival. This festival creates a vital space for artists from around the world to share with our communities and collaborate with local practitioners in Kaduna. Our work includes The MUD, Plug, Compound and now An Fara.
In 2025 Mud Art Company joined The Walk Productions’ The Herds Emerging Company from south Spain to Norway. An Fara marks their European debut.
