Theatre stalwarts honoured at Artfluence festival
Founders of the Sibikwa Arts Centre, Phyllis Klotz and Smal Ndaba, were named joint recipients of the fourth annual Artfluence Human Rights Award, during the six-day festival that took place in Durban.
Ismail Mahomed, the Director of the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said Ms Klotz and Mr Ndaba were honoured and celebrated for their artistic resistance.
“For nearly half a century, Smal Ndaba and Phyllis Klotz have been at the forefront of producing original theatre productions that courageously confront social injustices. Their collaborative efforts have created an important historical archive, showcasing how culture has contributed to South Africa’s liberation struggle. Their post-apartheid work continues to make a dynamic contribution by building a critical and engaged citizenry. This work celebrates the vital role the arts play in strengthening South Africa’s constitutional democracy,” said Mr Mahomed.
The 2024 Artfluence Youth Activism Human Rights Award was presented to cultural curator, arts co-ordinator and writer, Faye Kabali-Kagwa.
In 2023, Ms Kabali-Kangwa was the curator for the Cradle of Creativity Festival. The event took place in Johannesburg and featured 27 productions from South Africa and abroad.
In her work with ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) South Africa, she runs the Unlocking Learners’ Creativity project in the Western Cape, as well as heading the 10 Children project, among others.
“Faye Kabali-Kagwa is a dynamic and visionary young creative, curator and writer,” said Siphindile Hlongwa, the co-curator of the Artfluence Human Rights Festival.
“Her passion for creating safe spaces for children and her visionary curation of the 2023 Cradle of Creativity position her as an influential young artist. Her commitment to human rights and social justice makes her an inspiring young leader.”
The week-long exploration that took place in Durban examined the power of art as a defender of social justice and human rights and offered a whole new experience for festival participants. It was structured as a six-day residency with intense round-table discussions, site visits and performances.
Festival delegates were able to fully immerse themselves in the festival experience and engage with the complex issues about human rights and social justice. The festival’s partnership with the African Festival Network offered invaluable opportunities for exploring cross-border collaborations for the future, said Mr Mahomed.
“Our recipients of the Human Rights Award, joint winners Phyllis Klotz and Smal Ndaba, and the winner of the Youth Activism Award, Faye Kabali-Kagwa demonstrated that festivals can be dynamic platforms for cross-generational and intra-generational dialogue,” said Mr Mahomed.
