Culture vulture keen on Tartuffe
French culture inspires him
AS AN ARTS lover and a confirmed culture vulture, Alde Atchy, a Reunion Island national, has found Durban fertile ground for promoting all things French.
Atchy, 25, is the cultural and communications officer of Durban based NPO, Alliance Francaise, that is devoted to promoting the French language and culture.
The theatre classic, Molière’s Tartuffe, is the latest offering from Atchy and his Alliance Francaise stable and will be staged in Durban in May.
This comedy is directed by award-winning Sylvaine Strike. She put her own creative spin on the production which opens at the Durban University of Technology’s Courtyard Theatre on May 24.
Tartuffe will also be on, on May 25 and 26, and Atchy can’t wait.
“Tartuffe is loaded with satire and we were told the recent Soweto and Cape Town shows were terrific, so we’re excited about the entertainment value it would bring here,” Atchy enthused.
Atchy said his organisation was trying to cultivate a centre that offered “tasty combinations of the arts and cuisine”.
“We want to offer Durban as many events as possible to share the French flavour in terms of language and culture,” he said.
Atchy said since Alliance Francaise was not the only organisation trying to promote cultural events in Durban, their offerings had to top drawer.
He said they had cast their nets far and wide to bring the best French flair to Durban.
Performers from countries like Mali, Congo and Reunion Island have come here, and locals have been responsive, said Atchy.
But he said that if local government did more to fan the cultural flames in the city “that would be great”.
Atchy took up his position in Durban in 2014 and has fallen in love with the city.
“There’s always so much to do in Durban, I can relate to the weather and I’m wowed by the number of creative and forward-thinking people in the city.
“This is my first job directing culture and Durban is a great city for that,” Atchy said.
He has had an affinity for the arts from a young age, spurred by the live music concerts and festivals he attended. After completing his matric in 2009, he moved to Paris where he studied for a masters degree in international relations.
“Cultural awareness was one of my majors and I got involved with cultural projects in France and around the globe before moving to Durban.”
Atchy said his work at the centre would end in 2018 and he hoped to work at a Japanese or Indian university. “Preferably India, because it would give me the opportunity to trace my genealogy.”