THE CHANGING PARADIGM

Panellists will grapple with issues relating to the arts industry in Musho forum.

One of the events at this year’s Musho festival is a Saturday afternoon PANSA forum during which panelists will grapple with the Changing Paradigm in relation to the arts industry.

PANSA - The Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA) in KZN is hosting the fourth Musho International Theatre Festival of One and Two Person Theatre, at both the Catalina Theatres and the BAT Centre theatre in Durban until January 18,2009.

As part of the Musho festival, a participative forum for the industry is being held by PANSA. A panel of eight professionals representing various aspects of the industry will grapple with four pertinent issues. Firstly, what is the state of the transformational agenda? Secondly, does the media assist change or perpetuate the status quo? Thirdly, are professional managements driving change or perpetuating the old order? And finally, are government structures facilitating change correctly and supporting the industry through the process?

The panel is being chaired by Nise Malange from the BAT Centre. The panel is being made up of representatives of theatre producers and venues; the arts press; business; the City and the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism.

The idea is for each panelist to respond to the four questions under discussion and then to take ideas, questions, suggestions from the floor and come up with some kind of resolution. PANSA is having a national two-day workshop on Sunday and Monday to work with the ideas presented at the forum and to take them further.

Musho embraces all true and accepted forms of theatre: from mime to physical theatre, drama to comedy-theatre. It pays tribute to the smaller works featuring one and two performers. The focus of the season is to promote intimate and profound personal stories that are beautifully told.