EDUCATION

The MUJU Experience at the Tricycle

In 2004, the Tricycle Theatre and the One to One Children’s Fund formed a Muslim and Jewish Theatre group to share and promote understanding through the creative arts. 20 young people came together to explore common issues through drama, meeting weekly at the Tricycle.

The group devised a show, TUNNEL VISION, which was performed at the Tricycle Theatre in 2005, in festivals and universities. As part of an outreach programme promoting inter-faith understanding, TUNNEL VISION was also performed in several schools across London. Building on this programme, a documentary film has been made about the group, which is to be distributed to schools along with an education pack and supporting teachers resource (see later section for details).

The group devised a second show, EVICTED, which was performed at the Tricycle Theatre in 2007 and in schools across London. EVICTED tells the story of three households struggling to find peace and wellbeing, whose worlds are turned upside down when they are forced from their homes. The play promotes a positive relationship between different communities, which encourages positive dialogue between all faiths, while also drawing new audiences into the theatre.

In March, 2008, the group, now calling itself the MUJU Crew, hosted a day-long cultural festival, the MUJU UpstARTS Festival at the theatre with the declared aim of showing that “when Muslims and Jews get together, they can be creative, not destructive!”

This day, which attracted some 500 people to the Tricycle to experience art, graffiti, poetry, music, theatre, food and fashion by artists of Jewish and Muslim backgrounds, showed a maturing of One to One Children’s Fund’s idea of physically bringing the two groups together, and demonstrated just how far they have come. Since then, MUJU and the Tricycle have agreed to make the UpstARTs festival an annual event.

In November 2008, The MUJU Crew won the MOSAIC INTERFAITH AWARD, which was presented by Prince Charles.

MUJU is now a registered Charity. www.muju.org.uk.

see MUJU in action

Programme Report September 2008

“It challenges your own perceptions of things in a way that you’re not afraid to say what you want to say. Political correctness goes out the window…I think that’s what’s missing in today’s dialogue in the Jewish and Muslim communities. They’re too afraid to offend one another so they’re really polite, but it doesn’t really resolve anything”

“We need a lot more tolerance. We need a lot more justice. We need a lot more coming together, harmonising in one eco-system, living together like brothers.”

“Art, drama and theatre are a really good way of building bridges and breaking down barriers.”

Muju crew members