Kalakuther Queen of Felas Republic Work in Progress

Contains themes of violence, political trauma and sexual violence. Open Works Festival presents a work in progress performance of, KalakutHER: Queen of Fela's Republic. 18 February 1977. One thousand soldiers stormed the Kalakuta Republic. They burned the compound to the ground, murdered Nigeria's matriarch of activism, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and brutalised 37 women in an attempt to silence the Afrobeat movement forever. They failed.The Kalakuta Queens - wives, fashion icons, creative collaborators, and fierce activists -rebuilt the revolution from the ashes.Approaching the 50th anniversary of the raid, KalakutHER brings their untold testimonies to the stage. This visceral work-in-progress fuses explosive live percussion, physical theatre, and first-hand accounts - shaped through the directorial evolution of DYCP-supported artist Segun Ogundipe, whose journey from performer to director is woven into the very DNA of the work.KalakutHER is a raw, celebratory, and urgent reclamation of the women who didn't just back the music - they kept it alive.