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Thursday, October 27, 2022

ANNUAL IMBEWU ARTS FESTIVAL

MagentaPro invites audiences to the Annual Imbewu Arts Festival which will run at the Stable Theatre from November 4 to 15, 2022.

The festival begins at 16h00 from Tuesdays to Friday, 11h00 on Saturdays and 10h00 on Sundays at the Stable Theatre, 115, Johannes Nkosi Street Greyville Durban.

The Imbewu Arts Festival is a platform to uplift young and vibrant artist through theatre workshops and mentorship from other young professionals in the arts. It was founded in 2014. The festival caters for young emerging theatre practitioners. “Imbewu simply means the seed, we see this festival as a platform that explores the potential of the seed (Future generation) of Theatre,” says Nkosingphile Dlamini.

“The Festival works to encourage the youth to take further initiative in developing their craft. As young artists we are aware of the ongoing problem of not having enough platforms available to showcase the potential and creativity displayed by new graduates. This festival aims to empower and uplift emerging Theatre creatives to create more works and to never be limited creatively.

This year, we have 16 productions from around Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg, Zululand and East London (Eastern Cape).

We also have a walkabout room features fashion clothing by Dolly Fashion, visuals and exhibition on board by Sane Seda, books from Denis Hurley Centre, as well as beads ladies displaying their beads

 

Behind Black Tax

Choreography by Nqubeko “Cue” Ngema. Most of young black children grow up with big dreams to being successful but end up working slowly towards achieving those goals. Reality hits us as we take part of family steps that we are not ready for, we get into bigger shoes that doesn’t fit us. We become bread winners while we haven’t even won. We try to fix things that our fore fathers and mothers could not do, ceremonies that were not done. And that may cause a lot of pressure, anxiety and depression. Instead of working forward we begin to work backwards.

 

Isimanje

Choreography by Steven Chauke. Isiko la manje (ISI’MANJE) is a dance piece that interrogates cultural Transformation and growth in our society and community. It also deals with how the segregation of the African society, whether deliberate or as a result of the socioeconomic and political past has hindered its economic and social growth and how, in restoring hope and creating a sustainable social and economic growth, we can empower and develop the youth and women in urban local areas.

 

Conflicted

Choreography by Mzamo Kunene. Lost in his own identity, not finding himself within himself, Conflicted. Straggling to connect with his own true identity due to the words thrown at him by the society. Trying to pull himself together but sees a broken image of himself, feeling caged in a dark hole of impossibilities. His inner Child is destroyed, affecting his adulthood. He is trying to find himself but every time he tries, the broken pieces of his inner Child splits, making it impossible for him to find himself, leading to anxiety, depression and mental instability, almost having suicidal thoughts. He tries to escape from the negativity that he has always been caved in, but the voices of the broken Child are louder than his thoughts.

Everyone has an inner Child in them and if that inner Child is destroyed, it could destroy the adulthood of a person – emotionally, spiritually and logically. This contributes to the destruction of the inner Child and are usually words that were spoken to a person as a Child and that person grows to believe in those words and once those words are fully installed in a person. They live according to those words and they play a huge role in a way that a person views himself. This can be consciously or subconsciously...This work deals with how uneasy it is to copy with mental and emotional illnesses due to lack of support towards what the person wants in life versus the words thrown by the society \ what the society is expecting . A community can make and break a person unaware...

 

Isigcawu

Directed by Ntobeko Khoza and Mhleli Mchunu and performed by Zebra kings and queens.

Isigcawu is a Theatre production about Mr and Mrs Mthembu who grew up in a community where they respected their culture, they share the pictures of their beautiful wedding with their son uMcebo as they invited different traditional dance groups for a cultural exchange. This story teaches us about different traditional dances that are found in South Africa based on how they were created and what they were created for, this story is told through acting, South African traditional dances and music.

 

Umhlaba Wobaba

Directed by Andile under MOMOA Productions, is a physical theatre play about two brothers who believe that the community they live in does not need development to be a better place because they overheard a prophecy that was to warn the king and the community about the disadvantages that development would bring about. As the two brothers grow, they attend a school that is in the city and by studying in the city they get to experience life in developed places, meet people from developed communities and experience the impact of development.

Through seeing how city life is, their belief in the prophecy grows so they feel the need to analyse the prophecy and stop their community from wanting development. They try by all means to convince the community to forget about development. Warning the community about what they tend to lose, should they allow outsiders to bring change in their community?

 

Jelly Tots

Written by Nokwethemba Ngcobo and directed by Ntando Ngcungama. This production tells a story of gender based violence. It shows how one can be sweet as Jelly Tots just to get what they want, it shows how one can be sweet just to lure young girls into sex.

 

Ibala Lami

Written and directed by Mboneleli. It is a story about a young village girl “Qhawekazi”. She gets a chance of being part of an international competition in America, having to sacrifice and leave her afflicted grandmother behind and focus on her desires. Along her journey she faces a brain teaser, ravishment and being bulled while death visited her family.

 

Umampinga

Written by Xola Mziwakhe and directed by Ayanda Luthuli, Umampinga is a story of four old street vendors educating a young boy about how the system works against them. What changed it and how it can be reversed?

 

Their souls

Directed by Thulani Myeza and Njabulo Patson, this show is about the man who had lost everything he had worked for during the unrest of people.

 

You

Written and directed by Zuzumuzi Mdamba, a story about how one can afford everything they want but still can’t find the inner peace they need. It shows that one can pretend with fake breakfasts in bed just for the sake of doing it.

 

My Story

Written and directed by Vumile Madlanga. The story is about South Africa in human form. South Africa is facing problems with people living within her, they do not live the way they should live nor do things the way they should do. She is fighting with herself.

 

Regrets

Directed by Mondli Maduna. This is a story about performing artists who are now jailbirds due to the regretful act they did. Now they use their free time in prison to perform and tell stories.

 

The programme is as follows:

 

November 04

1. 18h00 River South

 

November 05

1. 11h00 Regrets

2. 15h30 Isigcawu

3. 17h00 You

4. 18h30 Behind Black Tax

 

November 06

1. 10h00 You

2. 11h30 Isigcawu

3. 14h30 River south

 

November 08

1. 16h00 Their souls

2. 19h00 Isimanje

 

November 10

1. 16h00 Their Souls

2. 17h30 Umhlaba wobaba

3. 19h00 Ibala lami

 

November 11

1. 10h30 (School’s performance) Ibala lami

2. 16h00 Uzulu omusha

3. 17h30 Conflicted

 

November 12

1. 11h00 Umampinga

2. 14h00 Jelly Tots

3. 15h30 My Story

4. 17h00 Conflicted

 

November 13

1. 10h00 Jelly Tots

2. 13h00 Umampinga

3. 14h30 My Story

 

November 15

1. 16h00 Their Souls

2. 17h30 Umhlaba Wobaba

3. 18h00 Isimanje

 

For bookings contact 076 836 2723 or email info@magentapro.co.za