Ibrah Silas Jackson and Lloydscompany continue to work together on his development with the support of the Cultural Participation Fund. Ibrah is a talented young dancer, emerging choreographer, and film director.  

We have been mentoring Ibrah for a year and a half now. Lloydscompany sees Ibrah as a future creator who will add a lot to the Dutch field, as long as he receives the right tools, knowledge, and guidance to develop. That is why we are happy to be able to offer Ibrah another mentoring program.

BODY CONTROL, MUSICALITY, AND DARING SUBJECTS

“I know Ibrah as a hard worker and talented dancer and creator who is eager to learn,” says Lloyd Marengo.  "I noticed this back in 2016 at the R&R Summer School, and now he dances with Ghetto Funk Collective, one of the best collectives in the world. His body control and musicality are very strong, and he has an eye for how everything looks. He also engages with daring subjects."

COACHING

Lloyd Marengo (choreographer and artistic director) and Jade Schiff (business manager) of Lloydscompany are Ibrah's main coaches. “I feel comfortable working with Lloyd because he knows me and I know him. And I think he's a hip-hop legend from whom I can learn a lot,” says Ibrah. 

Ibrah also receives support from other coaches in the fields of film, choreography, and marketing. The coaching focuses on deepening his artistic signature and film/direction, creating longer productions, learning dance styles from Uganda, and reaching his own audience. “I want to learn how to book performances, but also how to keep a long performance exciting,” says Ibrah. In addition to learning new things, he also wants to improve on things he already does well. “For example, the quality of my movements. And I want to explore how I can work with lighting and make my own music.”

TELLING STORIES ABOUT A BLACK MAN

He is also making a dance film in his country of origin, Uganda. “I love to see how boys here, despite the daily problems they face, persevere and just keep training on the streets.” In February, Ibrah will collaborate with local choreographers on a crossover between hip-hop, the style he grew up with, and Ugandan dance styles, the styles of his roots.

SHOW AT THE MAASPODIUM

The result of this coaching program and journey is a performance at Maas Theater en Dans on December 4. Here he will show his dance film and a longer version of the short performance “Until The Quiet Comes” with his dance group Create4. “This performance is about the experience of being a black man,” Ibrah explains. “A must-see!”

Before and after his project, Ibrah will also engage in conversation with his audience and share his experiences with other young creators and dancers. “I want to tell my stories from my experience as a black man and in that way make a positive contribution to society.”

Listen here to the whole interview about his coaching trajectory.