PREMIERE Co-production "Because I Alway Feel Like Running" by Ogutu Muraya

In "Because I always feel like running", Ogutu Muraya navigates the phenomenon and politics of running. In East Africa, the emergence of athletic prowess in middle and long distance categories coincided with the independence movements. Since the 60s the success of athletes became tied with the process of nation building and the creation of a new identity in a postcolonial context. The performance weaves historical, documentary and personal narratives in a study of endurance running.

In the same way as a marathon runner is always pushing his limits and enhancing his body, the performance also centres on willpower and physical tenacity. The project comes from a desire to navigate the political sphere by shifting attention from intellectual inquiry to the knowledge systems of the body. Focusing on the stories of three athletes - Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, Kipchoge Keino of Kenya and John Steven Akhwari of Tanzania, the performance investigates the runners body both as a political repository and a vulnerable, vital and resilient biological organism.