New Africa Theatre Association
The New Africa Theatre Association (Acronym: NATA) was a Cape Town based theatre organization.
Popularly referred to simply as New Africa.
History
Founded as an NGO in 1987 by Mavis Taylor, in order to offer an opportunity for disadvantaged, but talented and resourceful young people to receive performance skills training at the same standard as that offered at expensive established and formal institutions. Over the years she managed to involve both academic teachers and professional theatre practitioners in the training and production programmes.
Co-operative links were also forged with existing institutions in the Western Cape, notably the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Western Cape. Besides vocational training, New Africa also developed and presented Theatre-in-Education programmes, taken on tour in the Western Cape schools. One of their plays was also presented in a formal Cape Town theatre each year. Among their more notable productions were ***, *** and ***.
Staff and part-time staff over the years included such well-known Western Cape theatre personalities and teachers as Esther van Ryswyk, Chris Weare, **, ** and Johan Esterhuizen. The Association was also served by a board of Directors.
After the death of Mavis Taylor, the leadership devolved onto **and ** and it became a section 21 Company and registered with the Department of Education to offer to provide talented school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds with accredited performance arts training programme.
It is, at the same time, a production company and a leader in the development of an indigenous and inclusive SA theatre. ** New Africa Theatre Association (NATA) NATA was founded by the late Professor Mavis Taylor in 1987 as an NGO. Today it is a section 21 Company providing talented school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds with the only accredited performance arts training programme accessible to them. It is, at the same time, a production company and a leader in the development of an indigenous and inclusive SA theatre.
Sources
Cape Argus, 26 November 2008.
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