“I have come to take my ancestors back home” Ayòbámi Adébáyò

This vivid and emotional multiscreen installation and live performance, created in collaboration with author Ayòbámi Adébáyò, tells the compelling story of twins separated by death. We follow the journey of the sacred ibeji artefact from its creation in Benin City, Nigeria, in 1895, to present-day Norwich in a story that spans continents, cultures and lifetimes.

Amongst the Yoruba of southwest Nigeria, twins are traditionally revered as gods. If a twin dies, the parents commission a sacred wooden sculpture of memorial— the ibeji. This figure is cared for as if it were a living twin.

Guided by a live actor, the narrative unfolds over three simultaneous screens as we follow the 120-year journey of this sacred object from its creation in Benin City in 1895, its capture during the 1897 British invasion, Nigerian independence in 1960, to present-day Norwich, revealing how a seemingly anonymous museum artefact – the ibeji – can hold the hopes and emotions of a family and even of a nation.

Provenance was performed at Dragon Hall, Norwich, as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in May 2021, and at the The Sainsbury Centre in Norwich in November 2021.

Original artwork for Provenance is by Nigerian artist, Osaze Amadasun, live performer is Marva Alexander.

Full details of the cast and crew can be found here www.mutiny.org.uk/provenance

Provenance (2021) was commissioned by the University of East Angelia as part of ‘Future and Form’ celebrating 50 years of the University’s Creative Writing course. Provenance is a Mutiny (Sophie Mellor, Simon Poulter and Marcus Romer) production. 

You can watch the film below.