Sibikwa Arts Centre

Sibikwa Arts Centre is an arts centre located at 13 Liverpool Park, Corner Liverpool and Bolton Roads, Benoni.

Also referred to as the Sibikwa Centre for the Arts.

Sibikwa takes pride in uku’bikwa: the act of pronouncing, announcing and presenting on the world stage, the in-born talents of individuals...as custodians of his-story and her-story.

History

Sibikwa was created in 1988 as a result of a group of Daveyton, East Rand parents voicing their concerns about their childrens' poor attendance at school, lack of focus, the low level of education, the increasing violence and the lack of amenities in the townships. As a result Sibikwa Community Theatre Project was launched by Smal Ndaba and Phyllis Klotz to provide these children with a focus and hope for the future.

Their involvement in theatre began with So Where To? which toured extensively throughout Southern Africa and festivals abroad.

In 1991, Sibikwa moved to it's present location in Liverpool Park, Benoni. The Liverpool Park Complex is a government building managed by the Provincial Department of Public Works. The Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture (Gauteng) has identified Sibikwa as a Centre of Excellence. The centre is home to a Professional Dance Company, an African Indigenous Orchestra, and an ad hoc Professional Theatre Company.

Through its history, Sibikwa has produced and directed leading, award-wining and cutting-edge productions to audiences not only in South Africa but all over the world. Three of the Sibikwa Plays have been published by Heinemann and are on the prescribed list for grade 11 learners.

Purpose

The purpose of the Sibikwa Arts Centre is to advance:

• the talents of South African children and youth through inclusive arts education programmes

• the cultural landscape with performances that entertain, educate and enlighten audiences

• South African stories on the global stage, in corporate environments and in educational spaces

• skills development and job creation through accredited vocational training programmes

• creative talents for people with an interest in arts approaches to career development

• local contexts by advocating for and democratizing access to arts and culture

Sibikwa Arts Centre is accredited with The Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA) and South African Council for Educators (SACE).

Facilities

The Centre has Sibikwa Arts Centre has 5 studio spaces that can be hired for workshops, meetings, rehearsals or conference break-away rooms; a spacious Dance Studio; Administration Offices; Media Resource Centre; and a Library.

It also has two performance spaces:

• The Sibikwa Theatre (capacity 200)
• The Gazatta (a performance/workshop space, capacity 150)

Management and Staff

The Sibikwa Arts Centre team is: Caryn Green (CEO), Keabetswe Galawe (Finance Administrator), Ntombizivumile Qupe (Education Projects Manager), Thapelo Kotlolo (CATHSSETA Training Coordinator), Sipho Michael Mabena (Office Administrator), Kelly Storom (Entrepreneurship, Culture And Democracy Projects Manager), Smal Ndaba and Phyllis Klotz (Co-Founders and Consultants). Board Of Directors : Rick Edmonds, Mologadi Kekana, Pamela Grayman (Chair) and Zwelakhe Gumede.

Members of staff have included Cherice Mangiagalli (Dance company artistic director) and Neo Leleka (African Indigenous Orchestra Musical Director).

Functions

The Sibikwa Players

This professional theatre group, comprising actors, musicians, dancers and singers, is part of the Sibikwa Community Theatre Project which regularly staged productions primarily with a social community focus, but at the same time of a theatrical and aesthetic standard that made them successful in mainstream theatres, on the local festival circuit and also at festivals in Europe, Singapore, Canada and the USA.

Productions

Some productions over the years have included:

1989: So Where To?

1991: D.E.T. Boys High

1993: Ubuntu Bomhlaba – The Humaneness of the World

1994: Kwela Bafana

1997: Uhambo

1999: Behind Closed Doors, Isiswe Sethu

2006: Maru

2007: Maru

2008: Maru

2009: Animal Farm, Ma Lindi: Sex Strike

2010: Ma Lindi: Sex Strike

2015: Uhambo, Kwela Bafana, DET Boys’ High and So Where To?

2016: Chapter 2 Section 9

2017: Chapter 2 Section 9

You Strike the Woman You Strike the Rock (date unknown)

Sibikwa Arts Academy

Unique in Gauteng, the multi-disciplinary Sibikwa Arts Academy offers learners aged 6 to 24 years’ classes in dance, drama, drumming, marimba, recorder, visual arts and reading. Also providing experiential training in leadership, life skills and interpersonal skills, the Sibikwa Arts Academy affords young people a strong platform to enhance their confidence, improve academic performance and develop careers.

Artists In Schools Programme

Our Artists In Schools programme builds the capacity of creatives to work as artists-in-residence in schools across Gauteng. Working alongside Creative Arts teachers to enhance the delivery of the CAPS curriculum, our Artists In Schools programme supports the advancement of arts education in schools. This programme is dependent on available project funds.

Dipadi Holiday Programme

Working intensively with budding young actors, during the July school holidays, our Dipadi – show on – aims to enhance the artistic creativity, confidence and communication skills of school-going learners in Grades 6 – 10. This week programme, which takes place at a camp site in/around Gauteng, includes outdoor activities and theatre sports, with a focus on physical and mental wellbeing.

Inclusive Creative Arts Programme

The Inclusive Creative Arts programme, located within an inclusive approach, prioritises vocational training and arts entrepreneurship, providing a supportive ecosystem for the holistic development and professional achievement of persons with mixed abilities. This capacity building and skills development programme, designed for out of school, out of work youth, offers a sector-based intervention that addresses the barriers to education and employment for marginalised young people. Learners attend tailor-made classes that cover reading, creative writing, traditional and contemporary performing art forms and administrative and technical skills for theatre.

CATHSSETA Accredited Vocational Training

The vocational training programmes target emerging artists and centre managers affiliated with arts centres, in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Offering accredited Learnerships and Short Courses focusing on product development and market access, these programmes contribute to advancing creative industries across the country. Programmes, including Learnerships in Performing Arts (NQF level 4) and Arts Administration (NQF level 4) and a Short Course in Facilitation (NQF level 5), are dependent on available project funds.

SACE Accredited Teacher-Training Workshops

These workshops, accredited by the South African Council for Educators, are designed to enhance the knowledge and expand the tools of Grade 8 and 9 Creative Arts Educators to teach and assess the CAPS curriculum. SACE registered educators are encouraged to apply as a group and on completion of training will receive CPTD points.

Adult Classes

Creative arts classes for mature participants looking to feed their passion for performance and/or advance their skills to enter a dynamic and rapidly evolving digital and performing arts world. Participants have a choice between attending Sibikwa’s adult acting course or musical theatre course (combining acting, dance and music). Classes take place over 12 weekends.

Artists’ Playground

These youth development and entrepreneurship boot camps provide an intensive training programme, focusing on the creative and business elements of the arts, to enhance the competencies of young people to professionally enter the industry.

Awards

Sibikwa was a finalist for the ACT Cultural Development Award in 2008.

For more information

For more information, see Smal Ndaba and Phyllis Klotz.

Sources

http://www.sibikwa.co.za/

https://theluvvie.com/2015/06/23/sibikwa-presents-four-classic-plays/

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