Joe Blog

A Movement Theatre Exploration of Belonging!
Where does one belong?
Ukuzilanda, a term rooted in isiXhosa meaning “to fetch oneself,” is a visceral and poetic movement theatre piece that journeys into the heart of self-discovery and reclamation. Through an evocative blend of embodiment, text, and music, the piece investigates what it means to return to oneself in a world that constantly pulls us in different directions.
Ukuzilanda reflects on the tension between staying true to oneself and navigating the pressures of social conformity, displacement, and inner fragmentation. The piece asks: How does one belong without losing themselves? How does one remain rooted in culture and identity even when far from home?

Drawing inspiration from the body as an archive, the work delves into the routes and roots of origin; cultural and personal as a way to reframe identity in a rapidly modernizing world. Through the language of repetition in movement and gesture, Ukuzilanda mirrors the cyclical nature of self-discovery, returning, and remembering. Each repetition becomes both a search and a ritual—an attempt to re-anchor dignity and wholeness.

At its core, the piece unpacks the complex layers of home and belonging, language and identity, and the resilience of dignity amidst the chaos of internal and external expectations. Whether navigating silence or sound, stillness or chaos, Ukuzilanda offers a powerful embodied inquiry into what it means to come home to oneself.