ACCREDITATION OFFERED FOR DURBAN FILM MART

Deadline: The closing date for submissions is May 30 2025 at 12:00 pm.

The Durban Film Office is offering accreditation to eThekwini filmmakers who wish to attend the Durban Film Mart in July. This initiative aims to empower local filmmakers with industry-related information, provide opportunities to attend various sessions, and facilitate networking with industry role players.

Use the attached link below to complete the forms.

https://forms.gle/ceZEdSjGTQrkpX6V8

The closing date for submissions is May 30, 2025, at 12:00 pm.

For any inquiries, contact 031 311 4781 or email Nosipho.Hlophe at Nosipho.Hlophe@durban.gov.za

 

THE ABBA SHOW: A CINDERELLA STORY: REVIEW

 

(Andrew Gilder as The Fairy God Mother; Mahlatse Sachane as the Prince; Kiana Prinsloo as Cinderella) (Photos Natasha Bird Photography)

 

A modern retelling of the classic tale of Cinderella… set to the timeless music of ABBA. (Review by Shannon Kenny)

There are many ways to enjoy dance and music - and Mzansi Ballet’s mash-up of a Grimm Brothers fairy tale and instantly recognisable ABBA pop hits, into a sweet comic romp replete with elements of pantomime and just a hint of classical ballet, works to wonderful effect as family entertainment.

The cast are rightfully the stars of the show, not least because of their artful embodiment of their characters.

Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother (former Playhouse Company dancer, Andrew Gilder in tights, tutu and perfectly perched fascinator atop a blonde wig) is an abiding, delightfully camp pantomime cheerleader for our embattled heroine. As narrator (yes, I’m serious about the pantomime element) our hilarious Fairy Godmother is disarming, engaging and firmly establishes that this show is about fun - and that the audience would not be passive observers. Ballet purists beware.

(Left: Ariel Mejica as The Prince, Angela Revie as Cinderella)

The audience immediately warmed to Cinderella, played by co-choreographer, Angela Revie who exudes her character’s innocence and generosity of spirit.

Fabulously costumed wicked stepsisters, Hilda (Carmi Landsberg) and Nora (Kiana Rose Prinsloo) provide wonderful comic relief alongside their self-absorbed and tragically hip Father (Mahatse Sachane).

Their constant plotting, scheming and upstaging of one another sustained all the way through to the curtain call. Very well played, ladies.

 

Ariel Mejica, who hails from Cuba, makes for a suitably handsome and distinguished Prince. Prince and Cinderella’s pas de deux in the second half received the appropriate sighs and especially appreciative applause.

A young dancer, I will certainly keep my eye on is Omogolo Gaorekwe - billed in the programme as MC – who plays our lovelorn Prince’s secretary and lost-love finder. Such fine character acting and exquisite lines. In the words of some young ones, “he was giving.”

The Corps de ballet of Zinnia Tongue, Tshenolo Tshoma, Almar Kalala and Kimani Hara were wonderfully consistent in their support of the leads, holding character, maintaining the energy and even thrilling the audience with some unexpected acrobatics, too.

Directed by Dirk Badenhorst, the suitably innovative and hip choreography by Angela Revie and Michael Revie; costumes by fashion designer David Hutt and soundtrack of original and orchestral ABBA favourites underscoring the story were a hit with young and old alike.

The bonkers encore – a first for me at a ballet – was the cherry on top of a delicious ABBA-Cinderella trifle!

Judging by the shrieks, sighs, squeals and uproarious applause of young audience members, especially one a few rows back, The ABBA show:a Cinderella Story, delivered joy and exuberance in spades. I know for certain that family – and many more like them - will be returning to the theatre!

Mzansi Ballet https://www.mzansiballet.com states that their mission is “to nurture artistic expression, foster cultural appreciation, and engage communities through the art of dance”. If last night’s show was anything to go by, I’d say they did just that. Long may they continue.

The Abba Show: A Cinderella Story is taking place at The Milkwood Theatre. Two more performances: 19h30 on Saturday, May 17; and 15h00 on Sunday, May 18.

Tickets R200 (R150 for pensioners and students). Booking through Webtickets.

There is safe parking on the school field, the entrance is via the gate next to Astro on Newport Avenue.

Milkwood Theatre is at Danville Park Girls’ High School, 21 Middlebrook Avenue, Durban North – Shannon Kenny

 

PAINTING BENEATH THE SURFACE

Painting Beneath The Surface is an exhibition of paintings by Brent Dodd, Saskia Osborne and Eloff Pretorius taking place in the Shreiner Gallery at the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.

The exhibition runs from Sunday June 1, 2025, at 11h00 and closes on August 3, 2025, at 17h00

A workshop will accompany the exhibition opening at the Tatham Art Gallery on June 1, 2025, the guest speaker will be Tim Barry (Clinical Psychologist).

Booking is essential, as numbers are limited.

Please RSVP to pinky.nkabinde@msunduzi.gov.za or call 033 392 2811 and to reena.bhoodram@msunduzi.gov.za or call 033 392 2823

Contact Zandile Vidima with the Workshop bookings:

Zandile.Vidima @msunduzi.gov.za to reserve your seat.

 

KZN INLAND MATRIC ART EXHIBITION 2025

Date: Thursday May 28, 2025, at 18h00, closes Sunday July 27, 2025, at 17h00

Venue: Main, Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg

Walkabouts will accompany the exhibition opening which opens at the Tatham Art Gallery on Thursday May 28 2025, the guest speaker will be Tsholofelo Moche.

MONDAY AT ST CLEMENTS: PROFESSOR LINDY STIEBEL

 

(Professor Lindy Stiebel, courtesy of Facebook)

The next programme in the Mondays at 6 at St Clements will take place on June 2 at 18h00.

 Friends of Pieter Scholtz invite audiences to come learn about the literary trails of KZN with Professor Lindy Stiebel. Literary tourism. 

One might follow the route a fictional character charts in a novel, visit particular settings from a story, or track down the haunts of a novelist. We will trail along with Stiebel as she shares the whys and wherefores of this, her passion project. A perfect one in the context of Durban being a UNESCO City of Literature.

 \uD83D\uDCDA Walking and Talking with Lindy Stiebel \uD83D\uDCDA

Literary trails tourism in KZN

 

KwaZulu-Natal is culturally rich with a wide range of writers, writing mainly in English and isiZulu, linked to “place” through their lives and their writing. To name a few: Alan Paton, Roy Campbell, Lewis Nkosi, Sita Gandhi, Wilbur Smith, Daphne Rooke and Gcina Mhlophe.

“Literary trails are a way to get people ‘walking and talking’ about books,” says Stiebel. “How better to understand a writer than to know about the places they are linked to?” For example, who, she asks, after reading the lyrical opening sentences of Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country (1948) has not wanted to see this scene?

“There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills.

These hills are grass-covered and rolling,

and they are lovely beyond any singing of it.”

Eight trails have been devised by the research project KZN Literary Tourism, which has been running for nearly 20 years. Stiebel (with Niall McNulty) is the author of A Literary Companion to KwaZulu-Natal (UKZNPress 2017), which she will use as a point of reference for her discussion on the literary trails, their development, the authors, and reflections on historic and contemporary identities in a changing cultural and political landscape, among other things.

Perhaps we will hear about readers who go on literary trails as a pilgrimage to pay homage to authors they have read and admired. Maybe by the end of the evening, we will be inspired to do this ourselves. There will be time for questions.

Lindy Stiebel is Professor Emerita of English Studies at UKZN. She says her research interests are linked by a profound interest in the relationship between writers and place. These include the South African colonial and post-colonial novel; the artist and mapper Thomas Baines; Indian Ocean studies, particularly literary interconnections between South Africa, India and Mauritius; and literary tourism.

For more than 20 years Stiebel has led the research project KZN Literary Tourism (see www.literarytourism.co.za), which has developed a website hosting over 170 author entries, various documentary films on selected writers, the eight trails, and book reviews/news of books linked to KZN. Stiebel’s latest books are Cities in Flux: Metropolitan Spaces in South African Literary and Visual Texts (with Alan Muller, Olivier Moreillon. Zurich: LITVerlag (2017) and A Literary Guide to KwaZulu-Natal. She recently self-published a book on grief.

 

On sale: Books.

Giveaways: Trail handouts, KZN Literary Tourism magnetic bookmarks.

 

\uD83D\uDCB0 When the donation box is passed around, we suggest a minimum of R50 per person.

Weather permitting, the presentation will take place outdoors.

Bookings limited to diners in support of St Clements restaurant and staff. (They stay open specially for us.)

Table Bookings Essential: RSVP St Clements 031 202 2511

Be there in time to order before the performance, scheduled to start at 18h00

Please cancel if you book then can’t make it. (The venue is often at capacity)

 

SIMTHANDILE MTOLO QUARTET AT CENTRE FOR JAZZ

 

(Simthandile Mtolo. Pic supplied)

 

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music wraps up its thrilling semester one concert season with a standout final concert by the Simthandile Mtolo Quartet.

Come and enjoy an unforgettable performance by Simthandile Mtolo Quartet on Wednesday, May 21 2025 at 17h30.

The University will take a winter vacation, and the Music for the weekly Wednesday concerts resumes for the second semester on Wednesday July 23, 2025.

Simthandile Mtolo Quartet, led by acclaimed South African vocalist and live event curator, Simthandile Mtolo. Known for her captivating stage presence and unique blend of storytelling and sound, Mtolo will be joined by a stellar line-up of musicians — including bassist Fortune Hlubi, who has recently returned from a four-month tour in Thailand.

The evening will also feature a special appearance by visual artist Sihle Shozi, whose works will be presented in a pop-up exhibition as part of the performance experience. Shozi, who recently exhibited in Phuket, brings a compelling visual counterpoint to Simtha’s sonic world.

Audiences can also look forward to a short on-stage conversation followed by a brief audience Q&A — offering a rare glimpse into unpopular creative processes and artistic intentions. The exchange will touch on different international experiences and offer insights into building a sustainable creative career — not as a one-time breakthrough, but as a consistent and independent professional in the global arts space.

This is not just a concert — it’s an experience. One night only. The audience can expect a vibrant, heartfelt combination of original music, jazz standards, and freshly interpreted pop classics. It’s a sound journey that moves between soulful storytelling, familiar favourites, and bold arrangements that speak to who we are now. This show is a curated moment of connection, memory, and musical elevation.

The concert takes place on May 21 at 19h30 at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Denis Shepstone Building level 2 Mazisi Kunene Road, Glenwood, Durban

Tickets: R130, R95, R65 from webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1569346920

And for cash at The Door on the night R120, (Pensioners R90 and Students R60)

RHUMBELOW FILM CLUB: REVIEW

 

Support theatre in our city and keep our entertainment industry alive. Report by Caroline Smart (owner and editor of artSMart)

 

There are now no cinemas between Gateway, the Pavilion, Suncoast and Galleria.

However, for those who enjoy watching films, come and join the Rhumbelow Film Club. For six months every Wednesday, it would cost you less than R12 a movie! Great value for your money!

Run by Roland Stansell who is in charge of the Rhumbelow Theatre, the Umbilo-based venue offers a wide variety of movies – from musicals to ballet. Each movie starts with a recorded comment from respected journalist Billy Suter, who often details fascinating information about the production.

You can take your own food or have a nice burger and a beer – or your own choice - at reasonable Club Prices at the Rhumbelow. (No alcohol may be taken into the venue)

Rhumbelow is a licensed cinema with the Film and Publication Board and are licensed to screen movies through MPLC SA.

SASSA GRANT people do not pay to join the Rhumbelow Film Club.

Comments from regulars:

-“I enjoy the variety of old and newer.”

-“It’s also great to re-watch movies from your early years … and refresh!”

-“See a favourite of your past and to be able to watch it again and this time be able to concentrate on direction, performances, sets, props etc.”

 

Caroline Smart says: “It’s a great organisation and I doubt whether there have been more than 5 movies since its inception that haven’t appealed to me. Wednesday has come to be the highlight of my week, especially as I attend in the company of two close friends from my block of flats.”

This is the impressive Film Club list for the balance of this year. During the year, they also add in extra screening monthly on a Monday, World at War on a Tuesday and also on some weekends:

6.30pm Saturday, 17 May 2025: Les Miserable (MIZ ROCKS – 35TH ANNIVERSARY)

6.30pm Tuesday, 20 May 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – EP 19+20

6.30pm Wednesday, 21 May 2025:  Star! (1968) BS

6.30pm Wednesday, 28 May 2025: The Turning Point (1977) BS

6.30pm Wednesday, 04 June 2025: – Dr No – James Bond (1962)

6.30pm Monday, 09 June 2025 – The Party (1968)

6.30pm Wednesday, 11 June 2025: Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)

6.30pm Tuesday, 17 June 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – EP 21+22

6.30pm Wednesday, 18 June 2025: Cool Runnings (1993)

6.30pm Wednesday, 25 June 2025: Homeward Bound (1993)

6.30pm Wednesday, 02 July 2025: Schindlers List (1993)

6.30pm Wednesday, 09 July 2025: Pollyana - BS (1960)

6.30pm Tuesday, 15 July 2025: The World At War – EP 23+24

6.30pm Wednesday, 16 July 2025: A Bridge Too Far (1977)

6.30pm Monday, 21 July 2025:  Victoria And Abdul (2017)

6.30pm Wednesday, 23 July 2025: Summer Magic - BS (1963)

6.30pm Wednesday, 30 July 2025: Carry On Cruising (1962)

6.30pm Wednesday, 06 Aug 2025: In Search Of The Castaways - BS (1962)

6.30pm Wednesday, 13 Aug 2025: Oceans Thirteen (2007)

6.30pm Tuesday, 19 August 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – EP 25+26

6.30pm Wednesday, 20 Aug 2025: Tiger Bay - BS (1959)

6.30pm Wednesday, 27 Aug 2025: Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire (2005)

6.30pm Wednesday, 03 September 2025: The Holiday (2006)

6.30pm Wednesday, 10 September 2025: Casablanca (1942)

6.30pm Tuesday, 16 September 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – Special Features

6.30pm Wednesday, 17 September 2025: Independence Day (1996)

6.30pm Wednesday, 24 September 2025: The Stepford Wives (2004)

6.30pm Wednesday, 01 October 2025: Three Kings (1999)

6.30pm Wednesday, 08 October 2025:  City Of Angels (1998)

6.30pm Wednesday, 15 October 2025:  Its Complicated (2009)

6.30pm Tuesday, 21 October 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – Special Features

6.30pm Wednesday, 22 October 2025: The Soloist (2009)

6.30pm Wednesday, 29 October 2025: Lost In Translation (2003)

6.30pm Wednesday, 05 November 2025:  Meet Joe Black (1998)

6.30pm Wednesday, 12 November 2025: Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)

6.30pm Tuesday, 18 November 2025: BBC SERIES – The World At War – Special Features

6.30pm Wednesday, 19 November 2025: Invictus (2009)

6.30pm Wednesday, 26 November 2025: Madagascar (2005)

6.30pm Wednesday, 03 December 2025:  Moonstruck (1987)

6.30pm Tuesday, 09 December 2025: Darkest Hour (2017)

6.30pm Wednesday,17 December 2025: Birdman (2014)

 

Booking for the next six months membership – July to December 2025 (R300) – is now open. Early booking is advised –

Name of account: Rhumbelow Theatre

Nedbank Musgrave 130126

Generic Branch Code 198 765

Account – Savings No 2301348474

 

For information or when booking for shows emailto:roland@stansell.co.za

Follow on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RHUMBELOW-THEATRE-24998631016/ or Instagram - @therhumbelow or Twitter - @rhumbelow2001

 

 

DURBAN FILMMART INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 18TH EDITION OF TALENTS DURBAN

The Durban FilmMart Institute (DFMI) announces the line-up of projects and participants for the 18th edition of Talents Durban, taking place during the Durban FilmMart (DFM) in Durban from July 18 to 21, 2025. As the African satellite programme of the Berlin International Film Festival and Berlinale Talents, Talents Durban holds a significant position within the DFMI's programming portfolio.

Berlinale Talents is a networking platform organised by the Berlin International Film Festival, offering a space for emerging filmmakers to connect, learn, and collaborate. Talents Durban serves as its African counterpart, providing a similar platform specifically tailored to the continent's unique filmmaking landscape.

DFMI Director Magdalene Reddy says: "The calibre and diversity of applications this year reflect the growing vibrancy of African storytelling. This year's cohort demonstrates remarkable innovation in form and content, with projects that naturally embody our theme of building bridges. Throughout the intensive four-day in-person programme and the two-month online programme, these emerging talents will not only develop their technical skills but also forge lasting connections with industry professionals and fellow creators from across the continent – connections that will sustain African cinema's growth for years to come."

This edition of Talents Durban is distinguished by its inclusion of participants from 16 African countries, who collectively reflect the continent's diversity of emerging film professionals. The selection process was highly competitive, with over 500 applications resulting in the choice of 26 distinctive projects and 5 film critics, each bringing a fresh perspective to features, documentaries, shorts, series, animation, and film criticism.

Selected Talents will participate in a series of project-oriented, hands-on skills development programmes. These include sessions such as Story Junction, where participants present their projects to producers and financiers, alongside masterclasses and one-on-one mentorship opportunities. Domoina Ratsara, Francis Brown, Joel Karekezi, Karabo Lediga, Laza Razanajatovo, Mamounata Nikiemai, Mayye Zayedi, Mmabatho Kau, Rumbi Katedzai and Tarek Mohamed will serve as mentors for the 2025 edition. They will provide invaluable guidance and generously share their expertise with the participants.

 

Official 2025 Talents Durban Participants and Projects:

 

Fiction Features

The Most High by Samuel Kizito (Uganda)

MENELIK III by Hassan Zaroug (Rwanda/Sudan)

No Man's Land by Sean Mongie (South Africa)

Nuusiku by Laudika Hamutenya (Namibia)

The Prophecy by Rehanna Ngom (Senegal)

LET THIS DAY END by Karim Berrhouma (Tunisia)

 

Documentary Features

Designing Divide by Jessie Ayles (South Africa)

Green Island Girls by Rogena Tarek (Egypt)

One Man's Dream by Chisomo Kawaga (Malawi)

Mwiba (A Thorn) by Gwantwa Lucas Mwakalinga (Tanzania)

Ghana Must Go! by Joewackle Kusi (Ghana)

Kumfoga by Dissirama Bessoga (Togo)

 

Shorts

The Soil’s Silent Smell by Melkamu Haile (Ethiopia)

My Chicken (Huku Yangu) by Dereck NZIYAKWI (Zimbabwe)

Based on Future Events: Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? by Bassma Farah Nancy (Egypt)

Delivery Man by Ani ELIAM (Cote D'ivoire)

Butterflies by Aghogho 'Tega' Onobrakpeya (Nigeria)

Trucker Man by Shiefaa Hendricks (South Africa)

 

Series

Mad Bounty and The Midnight Gun by Talemwa Pius (Uganda)

Guess what? by Hayat Aljowaily (Egypt)

Watching Over You by Stephen Nagel (South Africa)

Survivors of Tromelin by Raissa Loussouf (Madagascar)

 

Animation

Zein by Nermeen Salem (Egypt)

Sisonkhe Kids Habits by Mfanelo Masuku (Eswatini)

Akiki's Adventures in Azania by Fatuma Abdullah (South Africa)

Rutu by Mary Njoroge (Kenya)

 

Talent Press

Gloria Nkatha (Kenya)

Tshi Malatji (South Africa)

Alice Johnson (Ghana)

Riley Hlatshwayo (South Africa)

Mohamed Sayed (Egypt)

 

The Project Manager of Berlinale Talents, Nikola Joetze, highlighted their anticipation, stating: “We are deeply impressed by the strong, emerging cinematic voices from the African continent. So it goes without saying, that we are extremely proud to have the Durban Filmmart as our amazing partner with Talents Durban providing this rich and powerful springboard for pan-African filmmakers to further strengthen their careers, build important networks, and join and enrich the international community of Berlinale Talents.

“Congratulations to the selected Talents, and thank you to the entire Talents Durban team, including the amazing mentors. We cannot wait to see these projects thrive, appear on screen one day, and hear the thoughts and reflections of the selected film critics!”

As the premier film market in Africa, the 16th edition of the Durban FilmMart, under the theme "Bridges Not Borders: Stories that Unite," welcomes industry professionals to Durban for a four-day engagement. The event recognizes that strength lies in connection rather than isolation, supporting creative visions, creating new distribution pathways, and pioneering audiovisual frontiers. DFM celebrates the innovative and creative talents who are crafting the future narrative of African cinema.

Get in touch with any inquiries (mailto:info@durbanfilmmart.com?subject=Info%20about%20DFM2025&body=)

“Based on my project, the DFM assisted in connecting me with a great circle of local and international industry personals, who gave me amazing advice moving forward into my project. As a result, the story improved 10 folds and we officially obtained about 70% of our budget,” said Samke Makhoba, writer/Director  - Dusty Media House

** Early Bird Registration is now open! Head over to the DFM website for more.

Register NOW! (http://durbanfilmmart.co.za/)

 

https://facebook.com/

https://instagram.com/

https://linkedin.com/

https://youtube.com/

mailto:info@durbanfilmmart.com

 

The Durban FilmMart Institute receives principal funding from the Durban Film Office and eThekwini Municipality.

 

 

 

DURBAN CITY ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT

NG Kerk, Umhlanga: Sat May 17 at 15h00.

Music-lovers have an opportunity to listen to the Durban City Orchestra (DCO) performing a splendid afternoon concert of live orchestral music at NG Kerk in Umhlanga on Saturday May 17 at 15h00.

The DOC will perform a captivating afternoon’s programme of striking melodies from Mozart, Coleridge-Taylor and Mussorgsky along with the debut of a new Spring overture. The concert will showcase the remarkable talents of Tsepho Ntswelengwe performing the Mozart Horn Concerto. This concert was performed recently in Kloof, and enjoys a second performance next weekend.

The DCO is supported by Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Booking is through Quicket.

The church is located at 34 Herrwood Drive, Herrwood Park, Umhlanga.

 

 

JOMBA! MASIHAMBISANE DIALOGUES

 

(Committee JOMBA! Masihambisane Dialogues: (L-R) Top: Thobile Maphanga, Dr Lliane Loots, Dr Mbongeni Mtshali and Hannah Ma. Bottom: Clare Craighead,, the late David Thatanelo April,  Prof Yvette Hutchison and Prof Sarahleigh Castelyn. Pic supplied)

From SA to the World: Contemporary Dance Conference Breaks Borders

The annual online South African contemporary dance colloquium JOMBA! Masihambisane Dialogues, hosted by the UKZN’s Centre for Creative Arts’ JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, taking place from May 21 to 23, 2025, offers an impactful global dialogue around contemporary dance in a shifting world.

The conference, now in its fifth edition, features dance-makers, academics, dancers, educators, and researchers from 14 countries, including Brazil, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Madagascar, Syria, Switzerland, South Africa, Ireland, India, Germany, Ukraine, Jordan, China, and the UK. The theme or “provocation” this year is Moving border/lands: dance as a practice of worlding, and looks at how dance and dance-making respond to, battles with, and navigate the current unfolding socio- and geo-politics of border/lands.

The colloquium, which is free and open to all features keynote addresses, panel discussions, as well as “abstracts or papers” presented by participants.  The keynote address will be made by renowned South African artist-scholar Jay Pather, Professor Emeritus at the University of Cape Town, where he directs the Institute for Creative Arts (ICA). His award-winning artistic work deploys site-specific, interdisciplinary, and intercultural strategies to frame postcolonial imaginaries, decolonisation, and matters of social justice.

Pather’s key note, titled “compass reset: ‘worlding’ closer home, some south-south reflections” will also be in dialogue with the rest of the steering committee that includes dance-focused academics, researchers and practitioners: Dr Mbongeni Mtshali (lecturer at University of Cape Town), Clare Craighead (lecturer at Durban University of Technology), Dr Lliane Loots (lecturer at University of KwaZulu-Natal), Prof Sarahleigh Castelyn (Associate Professor/Reader University of East London UK), Thobile Maphanga (dance practitioner, scholar, creative collaborator), Hannah Ma (director of The People United in Luxembourg) and Prof Yvette Hutchison (South African Reader/Associate Professor at the University of Warwick UK).

Further keynote dialogues will be held with Robert Siimpijja, a Ugandan dance artist who works in the arena of post-colonialism and decolonisation. His dance film ALIENATION (which will be screened at the colloquium), takes the viewer on a journey of self-discovery around the questions of home and where we belong.

Pêdra Costa, a Brazilian performer and interdisciplinary artist based in Vienna, utilises intimacy to foster a sense of collectivity. Pêdra’s diverse body of work continually provokes thought and inspires dialogues on conventional notions of art, identity, collectivity, invisible knowledge, and resistance/insistence.

Gaby Saranouffi, a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director at ITROTRA Art X Connection, will talk about her border crossings between Madagascar and South Africa.

And Yaseen Manuel, a Cape Town based dancer, interrogates his Muslim spirituality and legacy that features prominently in his work. His recent dance works Aslama (which linked the Syrian massacre to a more internal battle for self and identity) and his 2024 work Madha Kan (an unrelenting and ghostly journey into the genocide in Gaza), have been called ‘both terrifying and beautiful’.

Thobile Maphanga chairs a fascinating panel with Abd Al Hadi Abunahleh (Artistic director of Studio 8 & IDEA festival, Jordan), Orwa Nyrabia (Independent filmmaker and Artistic Director of IDFA, Syria/Berlin), Dr Princess Sibanda (Scholar Activist, Zimbabwe/South Africa), and Kateryna Botanova (Cultural Critic & Curatorial Advisor of Culturescapes, Ukraine/Switzerland).

The panel is titled “Festivals/Festival Making as choreographies of Border-Crossing and Worlding” and unpacks the idea of choreographies and politics of movement of cultural workers and looks at outputs such as dance across territorial borders.

Papers, digital engagements and further dialogues open up important discussion around contemporary identities and how they relate to an embodied performance form like dance (and its cognate practices) as we respond and revise ideas of border/lands; real or imagined - manifest between nation-states, between North and South, between fluid ideas of genders, between performances of tradition and modernity, between colonial and the post-/ decolonial narratives.      

Some of these papers and engagements will be presented by:

Anika Babel and Subhashini Goda (University College Dublin, Ireland) presenting, “Remediating kolam: Collaborative and intercultural explorations in dance and music”

Marcia Mzindle (DUT, South Africa) presenting “Temporal Immortality”

Sandra Chatterjee (India/Germany), with Hannah Ma (China/Germany) presenting, “Dance with the Stars #1 — Dancing Across Borders in Time and Space – a critical reflection”

Kwanele Finch Thusi (South Africa) presenting “Moving Through Borders, Breaking Through Bodies”

Ochan Zechariah (Uganda) presenting “Engaging with environmental borders through movement”

Alan Parker (South Africa) presenting “The When of Worlding: Durational Performance and the Subversion of Time-Discipline in Decolonial Dance Pedagogy”

Zhiling Guo (China/UK) presenting “From Borderland to Third Space – Signdance as an Aesthetic and Theatre Practice”

 

The colloquium will be streamed live on YouTube on the following link https://www.youtube.com/jomba_dance

Participants will be on Zoom, and for those who wish to apply to join in the “Zoom Room” to be present, can contact Thobile Maphanga at thobimaphanga@gmail.com

For more information and news as well as the schedule – go to:

https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/masihambisane-dialogues/

UMHLABA UYALILA: REVIEW

 

(Above: Pic by Val Adamson)

Congratulations to the creative team—directors (Meskin, Mtshali, Cibane) and their dedicated assistants as well as lighting designer Lisa Goldstone and the cast’s electrifying unity—for delivering a message of profound importance and an unforgettable ensemble-driven experience. (Review by Marcia Mzindle)

 

I am welcomed to a vibrant and exciting energy outside in the DUT Courtyard garden as attending audience member students sing while in wait to support the second-year group in this evening performance of Umhlaba uyalila (The Earth is Weeping).

It is a cool Thursday evening, May 14, 2025, at the Courtyard Theatre, Durban. Along the Courtyard veranda, an exhibition of an array of photos by Val Adamson has been carefully arranged to meet and set the mood and atmosphere for tonight's theme—the play directed by Dr Tamar Meskin, Mdu Mtshali and Zenneth Cibane.

Umhlaba Uyalila is a theatre-as-activism play exploring the unstable and uncertain environmental future due to climate change. Drawing on poetry, dance, music, physical theatre, and potent visual imagery that reinforces the themes of famine, drought, pollution, flooding, heatwave, and wildfires more in episodic vignettes.

The stage breathes life before the play even begins as we step into the theatre, actors are already on stage - clearing debris, picking up trash, and tidying the space—evoking the atmosphere of a neglected community park left in disarray and now order being restored.

A Michael Jackson's song Heal the World softly plays in the background. What does the Earth say when she is heard? This performance provokes that question, channelling her voice through those who fight for her survival. The actors’ costumes speak louder than words: the actors wear black T-shirts—some in head-to-toe blue overalls, others in ghostly white. Black for mourning, blue for the poisoned sea and wounded ecosystems, white for the landscapes stripped bare. The actors become a living palette of ecological ruin.

The issues addressed are not just important, but vital—for if we fail to protect what shelters, nourishes and sustains us, we ultimately betray our own survival, what future do we have?

As we sit in the audience, we are invited to imagine a chilling reversal - what if the Earth’s suffering were our own? The performers command the space with electrifying physicality: acting that sears, dance that pulses and vocals that swell with raw emotion. Every artist commits utterly, their focus razor-sharp captivating us with an energy so potent is feels inescapable. Not a single moment lacks intention.

Congratulations to the creative team—directors (Meskin, Mtshali, Cibane) and their dedicated assistants as well as lighting designer Lisa Goldstone and the cast’s electrifying unity—for delivering a message of profound importance and an unforgettable ensemble-driven experience.

Remaining performances for Umhlaba Uyalila: Thursday, 15 May 2025 at 16h00 and Friday, 16, 2025 at 18h00 at Courtyard Theatre, Durban.

Entrance (R50. R20 for students). - Marcia Mzindle

MY FELLOW SOUTH AFRICANS: REVIEW

 

(Kim Blanche Adonis. Pic supplied)

 This one-hour long masterpiece had us laughing, applauding and questioning our lived realities. I was impressed by the script and the acting talent and am always looking forward to van Graan's next piece. (Review by Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy)

 To stay or not to stay, that is the question...

 

Mike van Graan is a household name in theatre, best known for his post-apartheid plays that reflect upon South African culture, politics and turmoil. His latest offering, My Fellow South Africans, is a one-person, multi-sketch, satirical show that has all the charm needed to ignite dialogues in the audience through witty words and cunning commentary that questions South African politics and current affairs. It is no wonder that the show has already piled up numerous awards and played to sold-out audiences across the country.

The script is deliciously enticing. I relished in the Shakespeare references with a Cape flats version of Romeo and Juliet and an entire monologue describing fears and anxieties of South Africans written by using the titles of Shakespeare's plays as descriptive speech and emotions. This was remarkably clever and very revealing of van Graan's boundless talent as a writer.

The direction is simple but effective. There was one lighting state for the entire show, which was presented in The Playhouse Loft Theatre, with the house lights left on to allow for interaction between the actress and the audience. I am accustomed to directing one-person shows with myriad costume effects but this show relies primarily on accents and physicalisation to portray the numerous characters that are depicted.

The acting is superb. The exceptionally talented Kim Blanche Adonis carries us through the metaphors, mayhem and music with poise and persuasion. It takes a remarkable talent to capture an audience through a one-person show but she does it with ease and confidence. She held her own on the Loft stage. An incredible talent that saw her play five characters in one scene with the utmost breeze.

The storyline covers the ongoing saga with Eskom and load shedding, the staggering number of corrupt politicians and corruption in government, the still-presiding race politics (30 years into democracy), the alarming presence of femicide, and the hope for a better future to come.

This one-hour long masterpiece had us laughing, applauding and questioning our lived realities. I was impressed by the script and the acting talent and am always looking forward to van Graan's next piece. - Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy