Rory Pilgrim - Love In Uganda - Rotterdam

Love in Uganda, performance by Rory Pilgrim at Arminius Church, Rotterdam
Part of Witte de With Performance Cycle: Act IX: Let Us Compare Mythologies
Curated by Renske Janssen and Dorothea Jendricke
Sunday 20th June 2010

Central to Rory Pilgrim's practice is the questioning of the role of cultural, social and global ownership. Pilgrim explores the forms in which we profess what we believe in, individually and collectively, as individuals, communities and nations. Be they present or absent, Pilgrim embraces working with varied groups and individuals from around the world. He uses his own role as an individual citizen to ask what is urgent, needed and wanted. This has varied from an attempt to completely integrate two separate European towns (weymouthaapsalu 2008) to asking groups of choirs to stand in public spaces to ask a simple question to others: 'can we help you' (a ee el u? 2009). With these works, Pilgrim explores the differences of how we act and profess ourselves in language through the structures of speech, the written word and music.

Love in Uganda is a performance centered around a piece of music Pilgrim has written in response to the anti-homosexuality bill trying to be passed in Uganda. The bill attempts to criminalize homosexuality with the death penalty for specific acts, including a committed relationship. It would broaden a historical law made by the British criminalizing homosexuality. The bill is currently still trying to be introduced despite international condemnation. The role of American Evangelical Churches have been instrumental in pushing forward this bill, churches that since the election of Barak Obama have increased their efforts in Africa, creating a wave of increased homophobia and persecution across the continent. However, within Uganda 35% of the population are aligned with the Anglican Church that neither completely condemns nor accepts homosexuals and LGBT people. Only after external pressure did the head of the Anglican Church comment against the bill two months after. In February 2010 Pilgrim wrote a simple letter asking many Anglican Cathedrals around the world if the piece of music could be performed within their sacred walls. There they would collectively proclaim 'We must protect all love'.

So far no church but the Arminius Church, a place for religious mass as well as a lively debating center for literature, politics and culture, has welcomed the piece to be sung within their walls. It is also for the second time Love in Uganda is performed while the bill is still trying to be passed in Uganda.

The piece of music is written for 8 voices, with only 4 singers possible to perform the piece of music for this occasion.

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