The Body Remembers
A play and creative campaign led by artist Rofeda Bougaga
"What you telling me, you look sweet still. How old are you? Ah what, 13? Shout me when you're 18, beautiful.” Some of them don't even want to wait, they just ask for my snap.”
The Body Remembers follows Karima, an Arab teenager in Lewisham suffering from the impacts of sexual assault. As she struggles to comprehend what has happened, Karima takes us on her journey, questioning how age, race and class affects her safety, sharing the challenges of her traditional father, whilst unveiling the insidious world that normalises blaming the victim.
Revealing the darkness in the concealed corners of Lewisham, poetry and storytelling combine in this raw performance written and performed by Rofeda Bougaga. The Body Remembers forces us to confront the predatory danger young girls experience growing up. By using fiction, the artist’s lived experience alongside shared stories from women in the borough, this performance refuses to shy away from the big questions: who is responsible, and who can make a change?
The Body Remembers is part of a creative campaign working with young women in Lewisham to improve safety locally.
Performances of The Body Remembers took place at:
SPRINT Festival at Camden People’s Theatre
(Work in Progress)
Wednesday 20 March 2024
The Albany, Deptford
Friday 5 April 2024
Saturday 6 April 2024
Lewisham Youth Theatre
Tuesday 28 May 2024
We are now working with a campaign team to present at the Lewisham Safer Communities event.
The Body Remembers is supported by Arts Council England, Camden People’s Theatre, City Bridge Foundation, Lewisham Council and the Albany.
