The ninth annual Zabalaza festival was launched at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch last Friday afternoon. The festival is a Baxter Theatre Centre Development programme, which allows up-and-coming theatre-makers, practitioners and artists to showcase their work in mainstream theatre. Schools and non-governmental organisations were invited to the launch where they were given a sneak preview of nine of the 39 plays which will be staged at the festival between Friday March 8 and Saturday March 16. Many of the schools that will attend the festival are from Khayelitsha, Langa, Mfuleni, Nyanga and Philippi East and the Zabalaza team assist schools with transport.
Various schools, non-government organisations and performers attended the launch of the Zabalaza Festival at the Baxter Theatre.
Teachers Boitumelo Motse-Barnes and Nobanbo Mxenge-Wotshela from Bulumko High School in Khayelitsha, were at the launch.
Zoliswa Kawe from Langa and Mangaliso Ntekiso from Delft act out an extract from their play called, Nathi Singabantu.
Ongeziwe Badi and Pharie Sefali from Peace Centre South Africa in Khayelitsha and Christie van Zyl from Ubombam Luvuyo LGBTI Traditional Healers Forum, Western Cape.
Nomvuyo Kose, Mathemba Lolwana and Mzingisi Lolwana from Bardale Primary in Mfuleni and Angel Gqada represented Faku Primary School in Philippi East.
