Masidlale Conference: Exploring connection by DFL and ASSITEJ SA

The Masidlale Conference: Exploring connection by DFL and ASSITEJ SA is an opportunity to explore the current Arts landscape right now in the time of COVID 19. It is an inter-generational collaborative play space for finding ourselves in the here and now, an exploration with students, learners, children, artists, facilitators, young academics and DFL alumni and staff. It takes place from 20-24 August online. As part of the festival and conference, there is a space for the mentorship and development of new plays for young audiences, known as In the Works. This ASSITEJ SA initiative seeks to develop new African theatre pieces made especially for children and young people through a combination of international mentorship and direct engagement with the intended audience/s. ASSITEJ SA has developed a number of plays through this process in the past, as part of the incubation towards the Cradle of Creativity (the first of which was also the ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival), a biennial, migratory festival of theatre and performing arts for young audiences which will be hosted again in August 2021 in Gauteng. Playwrights such as Lereko Mfono, Jon Keevy, Selloane Mokuku and others have used the incubation process to develop work which has featured at Cradle of Creativity. This year’s exciting crop of ten writers were selected down from over 40 applicants and come from all over South Africa, as well as from Botswana and Kenya. Writers are: Jade Beeby, Katlego Kolanyane-Kesupile, Lereko Mfono, Maimouna Jallow, Mathabo Tlali, Modisana Mabale, Sanelisiwe Yekani, Siphumeze Khundayi, Uvile Ximba and Zinhle Mbokane. Their plays will serve as spaces for engagement and discussion through the festival/conference. The 'In the Works' project is supported by the National Lotteries Commission of South Africa and the City of Johannesburg.