WILLIAM KENTRIDGE, The Head & The Load, Philip Miller, Thuthuka Sibisi, Gregory Magoma, Homi K. Bhabha, David Olusoga

348pp., 4to., b/w & colour illus., hardback, London & New York. 2020

Originally published in France in 2020.

William Kentridge's performance piece, The Head & The Load, was first performed in July 2018 at Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London. Music by Philip Miller.

"The Head & the Load is about Africa and Africans in the First World War. That is to say about all the contradictions and paradoxes of colonialism that were heated and compressed by the circumstances of the war. It is about historical incomprehension (and inaudibility and invisibility). The colonial logic towards the black participants could be summed up: ‘Lest their actions merit recognition, their deeds must not be recorded.’ The Head & the Load aims to recognise and record." William Kentridge

The book is a record of the production, made by a group of musicians, actors, dancers, writers, composers, and video editors with costume, set and lighting designers, and contains the libretto of the piece,  artworks and images of performances.

Contributions include:

"Thirty Thoughts on The Head & the Load" by William Kentridge

"Thoughts on the making the music for The Head & the Load" by Philip Miller (composer) 

"Peripheral Thoughts on a Sonic Landscape" by Thuthuka Sibisi (co-composer)

"Theater of War: sin und drang in The Head & the Load" by Homi Bhabha.