POPArt and Joburg Theatre Youth Development Host the NEXT DRAFT Programme

This February marks the return of the annual POPArt residency at Space.com in the Joburg Theatre. This residency is part of a partnership with Joburg Theatre Youth Development, which aims to nurture the growth of fringe work and attract audiences to it, while also supporting young theatre makers as they work towards creating the next great South African theatrical productions.

The residency partnership is billed under the programme title “NEXT DRAFT” and will present 6 fringe theatre works and a workshop series working with youth theatre makers in developing new work.  The programme features work that has already been presented in some shape on other platforms, with its next draft being shared through this curated programme. 

The program welcomes the return of last year’s highly successful 12/12 festival to the Space.com stage.  “This partnership embraces spaces working together and not in silos, exploring relationships for resourced theatres to share in the interest of developing new South African works and support new voices in the theatre.”, says Ntsako Mkhlabela - head of the Joburg Theatre Youth Development at the Joburg Theatre. “The programme title ‘NEXT DRAFT’ embraces theatre as non-static form, with the capacity to grow, change and develop with each performance, theatre is never finished”, she adds.  

“Next Draft speaks to work that is always evolving, and how producers and houses with networks can support promising work, giving it momentum and the opportunity to put it in front of an audience”, says Hayleigh Evans - artistic director at POPArt.  Evans adds that “stories told through live theatre need partnerships to both be seen and to become sustainable. NEXT DRAFT offers the opportunity for developed theatre works to be experienced again, to be changed and to be in constant
contact with audiences - ultimately making these works more impactful”. 

The 10 week fringe program finds its way to the Joburg Theatre Space.com as follows: 

• 27 Feb - 2 March : “MSODRA LITE”, written and directed by Thabiso Rammala
• 6 - 9 March : Tembisa Theatre Week pick, curated by Mxolisi Masilela 
• 13 - 16 March : “UNLEARN” by MoMo Matsunyane (Standard Bank Young Artist 2024)
• 20 - 23 March : “NGIVELELWA YINI?” : A Kasi Opera” by Lindokuhle Thabethe 
• 27 - 30 March : “BORN NAKED” (Naledi Award Winner, 2024 Best Fringe) 
• 10 - 13 April : “all my ex lovers are dead”, written and performed by Qondiswa James 
• 17 – 20 April: 12/ 12 festival, features 12 brand new plays; 12 minute theatre pieces,  each in one of the 12 official South African languages. Each day the programme will feature 3 x 12min pieces, with each of the 12 pieces only being performed once. “This festival aims to encourage creatives and live performing artists to create work in their mother tongue or their favourite language; challenging audiences to engage with vast linguistic plate South Africa has to offer.  This is a celebration of theatre and visual language; a moment of exchange and experimentation with audiences, challenging our ability to understand and speak to each other through tone, body and story”, says POPArt co-founder and festival co-curator Hayleigh Evans.

As part of the program, Youth Development workshops will be held, facilitated by various artists featured in the NEXT DRAFT program. These workshops will guide participants through the essential elements of theatre-making, including writing, directing, and staging. The outcome will be a new and exciting production that will be staged over Freedom Day weekend at the Joburg Theatre. Participation in the workshops is free, and interested individuals are invited to apply to join the program.