This year’s Artscape Education, Skills Development and Youth (ADE) Programme was launched recently. STEYN DU TOIT finds out more.
AN annual event on the theatre’s calendar, this initiative aims to both introduce learners to theatre and live performance, as well as to help them develop the skills needed for pursuing a career in the industry.
“We take this responsibility very seriously and the quality of our productions gets better every year,” says Artscape’s acting executive officer, Marlene le Roux. “Our partnership with the Western Cape Department of Education this year allows us again to stage setworks in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.”
Describing the programme line-up as containing items suitable for various age groups, she goes on to say that one can never be too young to be introduced to the theatre.
“Look at Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck and her team’s Vlooi and Kipper children’s productions. They’ve become an institution here at Artscape.
“Our annual Maynardville production is another longstanding tradition. This year’s Othello has enjoyed sold-out shows and have left lots of Grade 12s with a new appreciation of this important piece of literature.
Upcoming setworks include John Kani’s Nothing but the Truth(6 - 18 May), written around the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and following a man trying to rid himself of resentment and hatred built up over many years; and Amaza(May 19 to 28), adapted from Z.S. Qangule’s book by the same name and performed in its original isiXhosa dialogue.
“Nelson Mandela said that the child of a labourer can become the country’s next president if we allow him or her an education. When you read you open the world. In addition, by putting these books on stage we give important stories another life
“Working with the Department of Education, we could see scientifically that learners at schools who had been part of last year’s programme had increased their marks.
April sees the staging of Vaselinetjie(April 22 to 25), adapted from Anoeschka von Meck’s Afrikaans novel about Helena Bosman, who lives with her grandparents in “a tiny little town lost in the vast expanses of the Northern Cape”; as well as Adam Small’s Krismis van Map Jacobs (May 6 to 15), touching on social issues related to unemployment, poverty and the search for an identity
“The more of each other’s stories we tell one another, the closer we’ll be able to get to creating the DNA structure for a perfect South Africa.
“It’s not about stereotyping people, or to put them in boxes. Instead, the first question we ask ourselves when considering whether or not to stage a new work is how does it speak to the objectives of social cohesion.”
Apart from theatre productions, the rest of this year’s ADE programme also includes a School Arts Festival, High School Drama Festival, Western Cape Youth Classical Music Festival and Youth Jazz Festival.
According to Le Roux, these competitions provide learners with the opportunity to hone their skills and learn from the experience of performing on a greater stage in this highly competitive industry.
Audience development and education is also high on her list of priorities.
“It is important that, when we look at audience development, that we don’t make it an issue about race alone. It’s about how do we entice young people – in today’s world of YouTube and Facebook – to also come and experience live performance.
“Theatre exposes one to so many things. It gives us an understanding of who we are, as well as an understanding society by mirroring aspects of it back to us.”
Thanks the likes of War Horse and last year’s festive season ballet, Cinderella, the centre has had over 55 000 visitors during December and January.
But while she’s ecstatic about these high figures, Le Roux adds that it is also important to consider that expenses such as theatre tickets are traditionally reserved for Capetonians who fall into higher income brackets.
“We must remember that 20 years of democracy is nothing. There are so many people out there, people who have lived in Cape Town all their life, who’ve never even heard of Artscape, for instance.
“How to we bring historically disadvantaged audiences into our building and introduce them to the wonderful world inside? That’s is our real challenge.
While on the one hand dedicating a lot of her resources to staging more affordable productions, in addition
Le Roux says she is also looking at new and innovative ways to make the centre as accessible as possible for all.
“The inclusion of artists and audiences with disabilities are also of utmost importance for us in fulfilling our mandate.
“This is why our new integrated dance company, UNMUTE, was introduced at the programme launch. It is made up of both disabled and non-disabled dancers.
Before one can talk about employment opportunities for disabled professionals in the theatre industry, she points out, one first needs to make sure these people can physically get in through the door first.
“As a disabled person and an activist myself, it is important for us to start addressing these issues at home and aim to set the example.
“Through the ADE programme, as well as via ongoing feedback received visitors, we would like to continue to alter the way audiences are able to interact with, and make their way through our Artscape.”
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