(Twist’s
Roel Twijnstra presents the first ever Game Changer Award to Xolani Dlongolo. Pic
by Mbuso Nkosi)
Twist Theatre Development Projects, the
respected and pro-active KZN-based organisation that works on bridging the gap
between community theatre and the theatre industry, awarded their first ever
Game Changer Award to Xolani Dlongolo at a function at DUT Courtyard Theatre on
Saturday evening (March 25).
The inaugural Twist Game Changer Award
acknowledges a person who dedicates themselves to the development of community
arts and changes the way that theatre happens in the province.
The award was presented to a delighted
Xolani Dlongolo - previous co-founder and director of Umsindo Theatre
Productions, and current director or Ithuba Arts Development.
“Xolani constantly gives of his time to
young and emerging theatre groups, assisting them both artistically and
administratively, and giving guidance in organising and registering themselves.
He has worked as a writer, director and stage manager around South Africa,
Swaziland and the Netherlands. Although Xolani has never had formal arts
training - he shares his knowledge built over more than fifteen years in the
industry with all he comes into contact with. He is one of the unsung heroes of
theatre!” enthused Twist co-director Emma Durden.
Dlongolo was awarded a specially created
handcarved soapstone trophy.
At the Saturday evening function, Twist
Theatre Development Projects also launched a new compilation of 11 theatre
scripts in English and isiZulu.
The scripts are the result of
collaborations between four community-based theatre groups and a team of
professional theatre writers, directors and mentors. The groups hail from Manguzi
in the far north of KZN, Mariannhill near Pinetown, and Pietermaritzburg; and
have been part of the Twist development programme over the past 18 months.
Through a series of different projects,
they have worked with experienced South African theatre mentors including 2017
Standard Bank Young Artist of the year Monageng 'Vice' Motshabi, Prince Lamla,
Ntshieng Mokgoro and Zwai Mgijima. They have also had extensive mentoring with
Dutch theatre director and director of Twist Projects, Roel Twijnstra, with visiting
Dutch street theatre artists, and Durban-based acting teachers Bhekani
Shabalala, Musa Ntuli, Mtho Zulu and Philisiwe Twijnstra.
The groups co-created new productions with
these mentors, and performed them at a range of festivals around KZN and in
their own home communities, in a programme that sees a revitalisation of
exciting content and forms for theatre. These are written into scripts in
English and Zulu which are compiled into the New South African Playscripts book that were launched in Durban on March
25.
This book makes contemporary theatre
scripts available free of charge to educational institutions and organisations
for use in writing, directing and performance projects. Twist co-director, Emma
Durden, comments: "There are not many formally published play-scripts in
South Africa, and we are very excited to release this collection of eleven new
plays. The opportunity to publish in both English and Zulu promotes
greater access to written theatre work and we are delighted to be able to
facilitate this".
The new book was launched alongside a
smaller compilation of short plays from the annual Novel-Script Project, which
includes scripts created by South African, Mozambiquan, Zambian and Zimbabwean
writers. The launch coincides with the graduation of 21 emerging theatre
practitioners who have been part of the Twist programme over the past year and
a half, and the inaugural Twist Game-Changer Award; awarded to an individual
who has made a difference to access and education in the theatre landscape of
KZN.
The publishing of these script compilations
is funded by the National Lotteries Commission.
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