ALEXANDRA ARTS ACADEMY

23 – 25 October

Current Affairs Virtual Theatre Festival

An initiative of the Alex Arts Academy, the Current Affairs Virtual Theatre Festival includes ten one-hander productions. The purpose of this festival is to allow young people to tell their Covid-19 stories and how the pandemic affected their personal lives and their families.

How their families lived and survived during lockdown and understand how they have adapted to the new norm or new living. Ten directors will be hard at work for two weeks directing Ten one hander productions that will be recorded for a virtual Arts Alive Theatre Festival.

“We are very excited about the partnership with Arts Alive because it gives our young learners an opportunity to be on stage and tell their stories it truly builds their confidence” Says Mr. Mpho Molepo the Festival Director.

Press Release by the Alex Arts Academy

Alex Arts Academy in partnership with Arts Alive present:
Current Affairs Theatre Festival

A theatre festival reflecting on events and life in a time of the Covid-19 pandemic, through the lens of the youth from Alexandra.

After recently hosting a successful policy conference for Gauteng community arts centres in partnership with the National Department of Sports Arts and Culture, Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, and the City of Joburg through Arts Alive Festival, Alex Arts Academy is excited to be partnering yet again with the City of Joburg’s flagship festival Arts Alive Festival to present Current Affairs Theatre Festival.

Since its inception in February 2019, after being developed by well-known arts administrator, actor, director and activist Mr. Mpho J Molepo, Alexandra Arts Academy has grown in leaps and bounds not only by nurturing young minds and empowering future generation artists, but also by partnering with leading arts institutions, arts organisations and practitioners alike. It is through this partnership with Arts Alive, which has been growing from strength to strength, that the academy is in a position to present Current Affairs Theatre Festival.

The festival will take place over three days (23 – 25 October), at Alexsan Resource Centre in Alexandra. Ten (10) productions will be presented over the three days, with three productions on the 23rd starting at 15:00, five productions on the 24th starting at 11:00, and two productions on the 25th of October starting at 13:00, respectively. The stories told by ten directors, ten assistant directors and ten actors will take the audience through varied and alternated journeys that our youth went through since the declaration of the Disaster Management Act of 2002. The stories will be looking at Covid-19 from different perspectives, stories of love, despair, anger, displacement, happiness, isolation, community, fear and hope. The 10 productions have been in rehearsals since early September and we are thrilled to be sharing them with the community of Alexandra and beyond.

The festival also serves as an incubation and mentorship program as student directors have been given an opportunity to work with established directors to learn from them. The directing process is set up in a way that allows for learning to take place, knowledge to be shared and as a platform for assistant directors to experiment and learn first-hand during rehearsals, all through the trajectory into the presentation. We have also cast our full-time students as actors in these productions as we prepare and transition them from students of the arts into the professional world. We are happy that this two-month programme will not only come out with ten productions, but a group of 23 students who would have gone through a process of mentorship and hands-on production in acting and directing.

“The festival is an opportunity for our students to experiment, be mentored and transition into the industry… the two month mentorship programme is meant to give them hands-on experience in theatre making production processes”.

Current Affairs Theatre Festival Programme

Day One
Friday 23 October, 15:00

The Public Defender
Directed by Avril Mkansi, assisted by Lerato Miyambo, Performed by Eugine Banda

UBungoma
Directed by Masiza Mbali, assisted by Mpendulo Mkungo and Mmamekgwa Masopa, performed by Khanyisile Dlamini.

Levels of Death
Directed by Sanele Mzimela, assisted by Caroline Bungela, Performed by Siphelele Maseko.

Faceless
Directed by Matlakala Motaung, assisted by Ntombizonke Mncube and Jackie Rasehlomi, performed by Mike Dzova

Day Two
Saturday 24 October, 11:00

Locked-Voices
Directed by Mpho Masilela, assisted by Pfunzo Tshililo, Performed by Bridget Mogano

Uyaphi?
Directed by Archie Matsetela, assisted by Lwazi Zungu, Performed by Kedibone Sekgobela

At 19 year old
Directed by Thabile Tshabalala, assisted by Sisanda Ntatawe, Performed by Tshepang Ramasehla

Day Three
Sunday 25 October, 13:00

The Struggle
Directed by Sipho Manganyi and Xolani Sango, Performed by Simphiwe Jako

365 Days Lock down
Directed by Masiza Mbali, assisted by Dineo Leputu, Performed by Hope Mampa.

Locked heart
Directed by Sarah Ntobela, assisted by Nomava Anatti Ndaba, Performed by Zanele Mbatha

“We are very excited with the partnership with Arts Alive because it gives our young learners an opportunity to be on stage and tell their stories… we are looking forward to sharing these passionate stories” Says Mr. Mpho Molepo, the Festival Director.

Dates: 23 – 25 October
Times: 15:00 – 18:00
Venue: Alex San Kopano

Issued by Tsholo Pelo Communications on behalf of Alex Arts Academy.
For more information and pictures please contact Otto Moloto on 0822200332 or email otto.moloto14@gmail.com Or visit the Alex Arts Academy Facebook Page (hyperlink: https://www.facebook.com/Alex-Arts-Academy-111299656908032/)

25 – 27 September

Policy and Governance Workshop

9 am – 5pm
Alexsankopano Resource Center
Cnr 12th Avenue & Rev Sam Buti
Facilitated by Mr Mike Van Graan
RSVP to mphojmolepo@gmail.com / sibamasilela@gmail

Cultural Policy Induction Workshop seeks to foster and enrich national consciousness amongst young leaders on legislative framework and empower practitioners by making sure that theatre reflects on the present situation of living in the era of Covid-19. An initial three-day induction into cultural policy will introduce participants to policy: purpose, legitimacy, implementation; key policy-making institutions locally, regionally and continentally; processes of policy-making; South African cultural policies; African cultural policy emphases and processes; and international cultural policy emphases and processes. After the initial workshop, participants will join a monthly seminar on cultural policy for the following 12 months.

ALEXANDRA ARTS ACADEMY

Policy and Governance Workshop 25 - 27 SEPTEMBER 2020