Credit goes to Facebook Page Future Lab Tunisia
Organized by Future Lab Tunisia, the first “opéra de quartier” Operette Boustile, was inspired by the community opera that Zukuntfslabor (Future Lab) of the city of Bremen in Germany developed.
It is following the participation of Tunisian students from Future Lab Tunisia of Ibn Khaldoun middle school of Manouba in this German Operette, that the Operette Boustile was presented on stage for the first time by these same students on Sunday, November 4, in Boustile neighbourhood, Manouba.
Musicians from the Tunisian National Orchestra, conducted by Mohamed Lassoued, accompanied this lyrical show with the participation of the German Philharmonic Orchestra of the city of Bremen.
Future Lab Tunisia supported the Operette Boustile as part of an initiative of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation and Zukunftslabor with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in partnership with the Tunisian Ministry of Education.
Credit goes to Facebook Page Future Lab Tunisia
The “Operette Boustile” is one of Future Lab Tunisia commitment that allows the creation of broader synergies between students, musicians, teachers, administrative staff, parents and the school’s neighbours, associations, craftsmen in addition to public institutions who are the actors of the Operette.
Future Lab Tunisia becomes a driving force for the development of the neighbourhood and stands out from the ordinary framework of an educational and artistic project.
Since its first experience in 2008 in Bremen as part of the Zukunftslabor, the “Opéra de Quartier” format devised by Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen has earned its reputation as a genre in its own right in music education, which is now being used in other cities in Germany and elsewhere.
Future Lab Tunisia is a cultural and educational project that aims to promote the development of the individual and society through music. It strengthens the capacities of young people aged between 12 and 18 by facilitating their integration into society and by instilling in them values such as respect for others, group work and solidarity.
The Boustile Operette was attended by Deputy Ambassador of Germany in Tunis Carsten Meyer-Wiefhausen, Governor of Manouba Raja Trabelsi and several other German personalities and guests, in addition to President of Kamel Lazaar Foundation Kamel Lazaar and Albert Schmitt General Director of the German Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Bremen.
Credit goes to Facebook Page Future Lab Tunisia
Carsten Meyer-Wiefhausen, Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Tunisia, said in a statement to TunisianMonitorOnline, that it is “an extraordinary project that arouses the joy of the students and the parents at the same time. It a very innovative project that we could use the idea for other projects. It is also an occasion to try to do something together with our Tunisian partners that is why I am very proud of this project and for the support provided by the German Foreign Affairs Ministry. We must also thank Kamel Lazaar and voice our gratitude to him”, he added.
Credit goes to Facebook Page Future Lab Tunisia
In turn, Mr Kamel Lazaar President of Swicorp and Kamel Lazaar foundation told TunisianMonitorOnline “this is the kind of projects that we have to do, because they are of long-term impact that will change forever many young people, give hope to them and will allow the blossoming of talent mainly with this quality of partners like Albert Schmith”, adding that “this project took eight years to be achieved” voicing pride and happiness for the success of this event.
Albert Schmitt Managing Director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen said that Kamel Lazaar is the architect of the project recalling their meeting in Bremen when Kamel Lazaar told him: ”we need to do something like that in Tunisia because we need to make our country stronger, we need to be a stable democracy and we need projects like this to develop strong individuals that can make a difference. ” Albert Schmitt said, “this is exactly what happens here today and these individuals and the young people are coming out of such a project.”
Raja Trabelsi governor of Manouba said that the Operette Boustile is a performance of Boustile youth in collaboration with the National Music Orchestra and the German Orchestra directed by Director Mokhtar Louzir. She called on all the partners of this project to continue this partnership in other areas for the sake of the Tunisian young people and their future.
In a statement to TunisianMonitorOnline, Project Manager of Futur Lab Tunisia Soufiane Feki said the Boustile Operette is an event held within the framework of the Futur Lab Tunisia whose objective is to develop the youth capacity aged between 12 and 18 years through music. He said the project that started two years ago includes workshops in violin and guitar performance and other musical instruments that allowed the team of pupils of the future Lab to make many musical shows. Sofiane Feki said that among the components of the project is the Operette which is a great show that takes place every two years. In this connection, he added, “we try to involve the civil society surrounding the middle school of Ibn Khaldoun in Manouba. He said that the “Opéra de quartier” is an opportunity to open up for the external environment of the school with all its components.
Credit goes to Facebook Page Future Lab Tunisia
“In Boustile we worked with women dressmakers of the neighbourhood, who made the costumes of the Operette, the decoration was also designed by the blacksmith of the area, as well as the carpenter,” indicated the Project Manager adding that the food is also sold from the neighbourhood’s women who also cook it, the ultimate aim is to create a harmonious dynamics in Boustile and help the people of the neighbourhood share the objective of the project.
The Boustile Operette is about a big pot which is a symbol of abundance and wealth in the Tunisian culture. It tackles the relations between the neighbours and the inhabitants of the same neighbourhood as well as the issue of man’s greediness. These relations can be motivated by friendship and mutual assistance as it can hide the vices and defects of humanity. It also shows man’s choice between greediness and facility and the path of labour to improve the social situation.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NejiMed)
