Robert Kavanagh

Robert Kavanagh (19**-). Highly influential South African theatre researcher, critic, theorist, teacher, theatre practitioner and political activist. (Also known in his writings as RK, Robert Mshengu Kavanagh, Robert McLaren and Mshengu)

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(Also known in his writings as RK, Robert Mshengu Kavanagh, Robert McLaren and Mshengu) (19**-) Highly influential theatre researcher, critic, theorist, teacher, theatre practitioner and political activist. **** In 1971 he was a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand and founded a training company called Theatre Workshop ’71 which aimed at producing experimental and improvised political theatre utilizing multiracial casts. ***. Under the name "Mshengu" he directed Crossroads for them and directed and helped devise Survival and uHlanga – The Reed (1975), staging them at The Space before taking them on tour. Also helped found, edit and write many articles, commentaries and reviews for S'ketsh' under his various pseudonyms. In 19** he left the country for the UK to complete his doctoral studies at ***, which he published as the influential book Theatre and Cultural Struggle in South Africa (Zed, 1984?). Also edited (though uncredited) the seminal collection of plays entitled South African People’s Plays (***, 1981?*). In 199* he returned to Southern Africa to teach in Botswana, and in 199* returned to South Africa as part time lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. In 2000 he published a handbook on theatre-making entitled ***** (Routledge?*) {Making people's theatre / Robert Mshengu Kavanagh. --   Johannesburg : Witwatersrand University Press, 1997, Stellenbosch Library catalogue}, ??** [follow up!!]   MSHENGU. (****) He directed Crossroads as well as directed and helped devise Survival and uHlanga – The Reed. All three of these productions were staged at The Space.

Bio for Robert McLaren - to be added
Biography of Robert McLaren as speaker at UNESCO International Arts Education Week 2012

Robert McLaren (aka Robert Mshengu Kavanagh) is an arts educator, practitioner and writer in South Africa, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Educated in Cape Town, Oxford (Rhodes Scholar) and Leeds. Co-founded/chaired university Theatre Arts Departments at Addis Ababa and Zimbabwe. Co-founded influential South African theatre organisation, Workshop ’71 (1971-6), and Zimbabwean arts education trust, CHIPAWO, in 1989, of which he was Executive Director up to 2010. Currently Director of CHIPAWO World. Chairman ASSITEJ Zimbabwe (1996-9). His involvement in arts education ranges from university theatre arts departments to early childhood arts education, from music, dance and drama with children in disadvantaged rural and urban areas to professional youth theatre.

Robert McLaren was an invited speaker to the Second World Conference on Arts Education and works for the implementation of the Seoul Agenda in the African context by proposing an action plan which stresses the key exigencies of advocacy, research and active involvement of the informal sector.

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