Jean Babtiste Ekaka

Jean Baptiste Ekaka (born in 1989) is a teacher, activist, and member of the Mbuti community from Bagoia in the Ituri rainforest. He advocates for the rights and concerns of the indigenous forest inhabitants. He came into contact with the members of GROUP50:50 while they were conducting research in his region for the production The Ghosts are Returning. Since 2023, he has been part of the collective and plays a leading role in the play ECOSYSTEM. In the accompanying discussion program, The Time For Denial Is Over, he has spoken about the complex situation in northeastern Congo in various panels and conversations. With ECOSYSTEM, he has performed in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, including at the Maxim Gorki Theater (Berlin), Kaserne Basel, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, and Voralberger Landestheater.