Project by A.

Sawi

Out of Fear

Storytelling and Dancing

Concerning how women of various age groups, backgrounds, and

sexual and religious orientations experience three emotions: fear,
loss, and love

Project by Ahmed Sawi

[1year ]

Project Title
Concerning how women of various age groups, backgrounds, and sexual and
religious orientations experience three emotions: fear, loss, and love

The plan is to produce four plays consisting of six women who will artistically express
their feelings of fear, loss, and love based on real-life performances.

Project Background & Context

Women in Egypt experience a lot of fear from the day they are born. These fears
concern her public appearance, how men look at her while she walks down the
street, how she has to cross her legs while seated because women should not open
their legs, how she has to speak softly, how she has to obey her brother and father,
how she has to represent her family. She is also afraid of what people say about her
in the street and at school, of not getting married, of her husband who might get
bored and cheat on her. She is afraid of not being able to carry a child, of menstrual
pain and of menopause.

Out of Fear Project

Ahmed Sawi, ahmed.elsawi789@gmail.com –
 Project by A.Sawi

These fears are formative and shape the daily life of Egyptian women. They also
cause her to experience loss. She loses the feeling of safety, and loses her ability to
fully enjoy her life, loses her childhood as she has to navigate adult discourses.

This is why I decided to create this project. The project is principally based on real
stories and experiences told and performed by women. The project relies on
story-teling, contemporary dance, and physical expression. The aim is to create a
space of sharing and healing from which men, women, and society at large can learn
in an interactive way. The audience will be allowed to participate and engage with
the performance. I believe that artistic expression can help advance the conversation
on sexism and social oppression and contribute to solving the problem. The project
will include women from various age groups, social and political backgrounds, and
sexual and religious orientations.

Project Goal
To provide a safe and flexible space for women to share their stories, heal, and
educate society.

Project Objectives
- To produce four short plays consisting of dancing, story-telling, and physical
expression.
- Through training workshops, women will be able to express their fear and to
talk about the relationship between art and healing.

Project Description
This project begins with an audition in which I will be present as a creative director and
choreographer. The audition will not require professional dancers and actresses. It will
require individuals who are excited to express their emotions through their bodies and
through storytelling. We will then hold four ten-day dancing, acting, and storytelling
workshops. After that we will start training for the play itself. In sum, there will be 40 days
for 4 workshops after which we will prepare for the play which will take place in various
4

Out of Fear Project

Ahmed Sawi, ahmed.elsawi789@gmail.com –
 Project by A.Sawi

theatres and districts in Egypt and elsewhere. I am eager to have the play performed in at
least 3 Middle Eastern countries and one European country. I hope to extend the play to
include women from these other countries and to have them participate through their own
stories and experiences.

Project Methodology and Timeline

The project will be implemented in 1 year during which research and workshops will
take place.

Desk Research : one month

Literature review for the references related to the fear women experience in the
Middle East and how these experiences compare to the European context. We will
also study how developed countries were able to extend rights and freedom to
women and how these women were able to confront and overcome their fear and
utilize art and theatre to fight against patriarchy.

Empirical Research: one month

I will work with a dance instructor to prepare for the audition and project as a whole,
including a survey in which the play can be performed.

Action research: 8 months

Four workshops. Each will include between 6-10 women and will last for ten days.
The workshops will principally focus on physical expression and storytelling. After
that, each group will conduct 10 rehearsals. In sum, there will be 4 workshops, 10
days for each, the total number of days being 40. Each group will do 10 rehearsals,
the total being 40 days for the rehearsals. Preparations will therefore last for 80
days.

Out of Fear Project

Ahmed Sawi, ahmed.elsawi789@gmail.com –
 Project by A.Sawi

Analysis: 1 month Logistics

Here we will work on logistics, promotion, and choose the theatres and places in
which the play will be performed. We will also prepare a schedule that suits the
participants.

Translation and Publishing: on month

All video and promotion material will be sent to translation and will be published
online using social media and other online and paper outlets.

Project Beneficiaries
- Women and young girls.
- Parents, husbands, and sons.
- Society, state, and non-state institutions.

Out of Fear Project

Ahmed Sawi, ahmed.elsawi789@gmail.com –