Free workshops for youth
Drama for Life – the University of the Witwatersrand’s arts centre for social transformation and healing – will be a huge part of the National Arts Festival this year.
From AfriQueer – a sitespecific rite of passage that explores masculinities and queerness through the lens of an ancient creation myth – to the curatorship of the Remix Laboratory, Drama for Life will play a major role in this year’s festival.
“We are delighted to be returning to the National Arts Festival in 2016,” said Warren Nebe, Director.
“We are bringing our Drama for Life Theatre Company in partnership with the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project; our Drama for Life Africa project with representatives from five SADC countries; some of our staff and students to perform and run workshops on the main festival and in the communities of Makana; teach certified education and training workshops, as well as offer expert open workshops in Drama Therapy, Applied Theatre, and Performance for the National Arts Festival Remix Laboratory,” said Nebe.
“We look forward to working with our colleagues from across the region and witnessing everyone’s work.”
Drama for Life’s official projects at this year’s festival include:
• AfriQueer is an evocative site-specific journey through multiple solo and group performances from across Africa; an intimate improvisational evocation into the lives of men living on a continent that violently rejects the “other”; a dreamscape into a world that embraces queer in Africa. AfriQueer is curated by Warren Nebe with a team of performance artists drawn from six countries, namely Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. This travelling work changes according to site and country and availability of artists. AfriQueer Iteration 1.1 was performed at Kloppenheim, Mpumalanga, Iteration 1.2 was performed at the Cultural Institute of Brazil, Maputo in 2015, and AfriQueer Iteration 1.3 was performed at the Maitisong Festival, Botswana earlier this year.
AfriQueer Iteration 1.4: How the stars were made – South Africa is curated by Warren Nebe. Performing Artists for Iteration 1.4 are: Tefo Paya, Hamish Neill, Sithembiso Khalishwayo, Bonginkosi Mnisi, Khothatso Mogwera, Thabang Molefe, Tlotlo Kefitlhile, Thapelo Kgatwane, Kgotlaetsile Malope, Songezo Mcilizeli, Kwanele Finch Thusi, and Dadivo Jose Combane and will be performed in the Botanical Gardens.
The Drama for Life Africa Project is a multi-media, interdisciplinary project that aims to enhance a deeper understanding about sex, sexualities and sexual health with a human rights perspective across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in partnership with the Swiss Development Corporation (SDC). AfriQueer is one of many performance projects that form part of the Drama for Life Africa Project.
• This year’s Remix Laboratory, based at Crown Hall, will be a dynamic space of “best practice” training for young adults who represent community theatre groups from across South Africa. The laboratory will also have open, free performances and workshops for Festival and