ASSITEJ South Africa opens call to ASSITEJ 2017 World
Congress and Performing Arts Festival and other platforms like CT Fringe and
Naledi Showcase.
At the 50th birthday of ASSITEJ International, the very
first African president, Yvette Hardie, opened the call for productions for the
ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival, to be held Cape Town in May
2017.
ASSITEJ South Africa, in partnership with the National Arts
Council of South Africa, has placed the call on their website www.assitej2017.org.za. The call is
divided into three categories; African Plays, Collaborative Plays (plays made
in partnership with one African country and another country) and International
Plays (from outside of Africa).
With the congress taking place in Africa for the first time
since the inception of ASSITEJ in 1965, Vigdis Jakobsdóttir - vice president of
ASSITEJ and chairperson of ASSITEJ Iceland shared her thoughts on what coming
to South Africa will mean to theatre for young audiences globally:
“In 2017 a gateway of collaboration and exchange between
theatre artists in Africa and the rest of the world will open. This gateway is
the ASSITEJ World Congress. The congress is always a buzzing hub of discussion,
artistic exchange, networking and human interaction. A dynamic and powerful
place where artists and producers from up to a hundred nationalities have an
opportunity to look each other in the eye and make valuable connections. This
congress is the first one in ASSITEJ's 50 year history to happen in Africa,
which makes it particularly exciting for everybody in the association.
“The organisational team in South Africa, under the
leadership of current president of ASSITEJ worldwide; Yvette Hardie, is already
impressing the world of Theatre for Young Audiences, with their level of
professionalism and a sharp focus in their work, which will no doubt attract
big numbers of artists from around the world to South Africa in 2017.”
Philip Hardy, artistic director of Barnstorm Theatre in Ireland
expressed the value he found in the ASSITEJ network which spans nearly 100
countries, his appreciation of ASSITEJ South Africa, and his excitement at the
prospect of working in the African continent:
“I worked for many years in isolation being the only theatre
company in my country that produced work for young audiences outside of school
but it was through my involvement with ASSITEJ that I was exposed to similar
artists/companies and through which my own practice was both celebrated and
challenged. Over the years there have been further influences through ASSITEJ
none more than when Yvette Hardie joined the organisation becoming its
president and introducing ASSITEJ Africa and the work of many of its artists to
the world. I look forward to visiting SA for the World Congress in 2017 and
encountering the artists, companies and stakeholders in TYA there.”
At the moment, ASSITEJ South Africa has a number of
platforms calling for productions aimed at young audiences.
Companies wishing to perform for young audiences in Durban
at the Catalina Children’s Theatre Festival in late September/October must send
a letter of interest to comms@assitej.org.za
or contact the Catalina Theatre direct on catalinatheatre@zamail.co.za
Companies wishing to perform at the ASSITEJ World Congress
and Performing Arts Festival in May 2017 may apply to participate online at: www.assitej2017.org.za
These platforms allow ASSITEJ South Africa to continue
towards its goal of providing every single child in South Africa with access to
high quality theatre.
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