Windhoek Civic Theatre

The Windhoek Civic Theatre was the first civic theatre and arts venue built for the city of Windhoek in Namibia.

Also referred to as the Windhoek Theatre.

History

In the 1950s the South West African branch of the South African Association of the Arts (South West African Branch), under the chairmanship of the then President, Olga Levinson, actively petitioned for and obtained a civic theatre for Windhoek.

The venue, which contained a theatre and an art gallery, was formally opened on 3 October 1960 by the then Administrator of South West Africa (SWA), Mr D. du P. Viljoen.

The theatre and gallery were formally managed by the SAAA until 1973 and during this time it used by growing numbers of amateurs, schools, semi-professionals, professionals. However, by the beginning of the 1970s it was was clearly too small and the SWA Administration had it enlarged and improved. It was reopened on the 12th April 1973 by the Administrator Mr B.J. van der Walt, and handed over to the South West African Performing Arts Council (SWAPAC) to manage from then onwards. SWAPAC also obtained offices in a building next door.

After independence it became known as the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN, an Association Not For Gain) being incorporated on 15 August 1989.

Sources

http://www.ntn.org.na/

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