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, Mshengu Kavanagh, Robert McLaren and Mshengu)

REQUIRES EDITING

In 1971, while 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.

In 19** he left the country for the UK to complete his doctoral studies at Leeds University, 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[1]

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.

Robert Mshengu Kavanagh is a published author, cultural activist, director, performing artist and academic .

Also known as Mshengu Kavanagh or simply Mshengu.

Biography

He was born Robert Malcolm McLaren in Durban and educated in Natal, a fourth generation African of Gaelic descent. Went to school at Highbury Preparatory School for Boys and Hilton College. He has a B.A. Hons. in English Literature from the University of Cape Town, an M.Phil. from Oxford and a Ph.D. from Leeds.

Conversant in six African and three European languages, he has been a committed socialist since the 1960’s and has lived in Zimbabwe from 1984 to the present. He is married with four children by his late wife, Thembani – Sibongile, Thando, Njabulo and Gugu – and three with his present wife, Hazvinei – Shalom, Rudairo and Ropafadzo.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Founder of structures and organizations

He co-founded the following:

1971: Workshop '71 Experimental Theatre (Johannesburg),

1980: Theatre Arts Department (Addis Ababa University),

1985: Zambuko/Izibuko (a political theatre group, Harare)

1986: Theatre Arts Department (University of Zimbabwe),

1989: The CHIPAWO Arts Education for Development and Employment Trust (Harare), of which he was Executive Director up to 2010.

1989: The Zimbabwe Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ZATCYP/ASSITEJ).

Productions

Under the name "Mshengu" he helped to devise and directed plays for Theatre Workshop '71, including Crossroads, Survival and uHlanga – The Reed (1975), staging them at The Space before taking them on tour.

Publications

Besides helping to found, edit and write many articles, commentaries and reviews for S'ketsh' under his various pseudonyms, he has also published books and articles other journals on a wide range of subjects, mostly relating to theatre. culture, ideology and politics.

The following is an edited list of some his published works (see also the ESAT Bibliography):

The Making of a Servant and Other Poems (translated with Z.S. Qangule, 1971).

South African People's Plays (editor, 1Italic text981)

Theatre and Cultural Struggle in South Africa (author, 1985)

Making People's Theatre (author, 1997)

Ngoma: Approaches to Arts Education in Southern Africa (editor, 2006)

The Complete S'ketsh' (editor, 2016)

Selected Plays Vol. I: The Theatre of Workshop '71 (editor, 2016)

Selected Plays Vol II, The Political Theatre of Zambuko/Izibuko (editor, 2017)

Selected Plays III, The New Horizon Youth Theatre Company (editor, 2017)

Selected Plays V, Three Southern African Plays (editor, 2019)

Mangothobane: A Soweto Nobody (author, 2016)

A Contended Space: The Theatre of Gibson Mtutuzeli Kente (author, 2016)

Jan's Book (author, 2016)

Theatre and Cultural Struggle Under Apartheid (editor, 2017)

Insila: The Eyes and Ears of the King, translated by Robert Mshengu Kavanagh and Thembani Ndiya Nene from "Insila kaShaka by John Langalibalele Dube (2017)

Sources

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

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