Drama for Life

This project fosters collaboration between teachers and community artists in the face of extraordinary psychosocial challenges. Today, the project has trained over 180 teachers and community artists who have collectively worked with hundreds of adolescents throughout its six-year run.

Since it started, the project has seen adolescents grow in confidence by being given the opportunity to voice their opinion whilst working alongside their peers and facilitators in dynamic, negotiated and transformative ways. The project has received a Service Excellence award from the Gauteng Department of Education.

It has also brought together a group of practising artists and school educators from selected secondary schools in Johannesburg to receive a one-week intensive short course training in introductory Applied Theatre and Drama methodologies with Drama for Life, Wits University. It also offers trainee participants the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills to the test by creating dynamic and exciting representations of contemporary social issues with young adolescents.

This ground breaking and unique project would not be possible without the generous support of Rand Merchant Bank, Goethe Institut, Department of Education Johannesburg Central and the Department of Sports and Recreation Region Cendit.