Playwrights to pump out scripts
JOHANNESBURG – Fifteen African playwrights have been selected to participate in the New Writing for Young Audiences in Africa programme.
The programme will be run by ASSITEJ South Africa which has partnered with the Kennedy Centres New Visions/New Voices programme in the United States and the Soweto Theatre.
The programme has come together after a call for new script ideas opened at the end of last year.
A judging panel for the programme was selected. which includes playwrights such as Jon Keevy, Tsungayi Hatitye, Mojalefa Samson Mlambo, Myer Taub and many more.
The playwrights will be guided in developing their ideas into proper scripts, with the best having the chance to be presented at the ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival in Cape Town in 2017.
“This programme is part of our Congress incubation… in this case, we are focusing on incubating new writers for theatre for young audiences,” Yvette Hardie, ASSITEJ South Africa director and president of ASSITEJ International said.
Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas of New Visions/New Voices said, “As we’re reading, we look for excellent plays that will thrive in a workshop setting, and the selected writers shared intangibles like connection with their audience, clarity of vision, and excitement.”
The first stage of the programme will consist of staged readings of first drafts at the inaugural African Youth Theatre and Dance Festival, at Artscape from 22 to 27 June. This new festival is being supported by the Department of Arts and Culture’s Mzansi Golden Economy funding and brings together a number of partners who are committed to working with young audiences.
During the readings, the scripts will be performed by young people who form part of Artscape’s educational programmes, giving the playwrights feedback on their work, and particularly whether the work is reaching them as the targeted age-group.
Details: www.assitej.org.za
