The Joburg Theatre runs two developmental programmes to help young inexperienced actors break into the entertainment industry. These are the Duma Ndlovu Actor’s Academy (DNA), which serves as a steppingstone for actors with university qualifications in the arts, and the Applied Performing Arts and Arts Management (APAAM) programme, a three-year course in community theatre.
The Duma Ndlovu Actor’s Academy was founded by the acclaimed playwright and filmmaker of the same name. Ndlovu designed the actor’s academy to equip graduates in the dramatic arts with the nitty-gritties of the arts, with the idea brought to life in 2005 in a partnership with the Joburg Theatre.
Precious Motloung, the Youth Development Administrator for Joburg Theatre, confirms that the DNA is a conduit for youngsters with tertiary qualifications in dramatic arts to enter the entertainment industry. The academy, which hones all facets of raw talent from previously marginalised communities, acts as a platform for nascent actors to gain practical experience and exposure to their craft.
“Duma Ndlovu is passionate about youth development and has tailored this programme to help boost actors without experience in performance arts, using his three decades of experience in the entertainment industry,” Motloung explains.
To join the programme, budding actors are required to prepare a monologue, which they perform in front of a panel of judges and get adjudicated during a live audition.
Motloung notes that the development programme is designed to teach the youth the intricacies of the arts before, during, and after an audition, as there was a gap that needed to be closed for graduates who were not taught certain facets of the industry while in varsity. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the DNA took on 130 youngsters annually. Motloung says the numbers have dropped to 65 to enable the theatre to adhere to public health protocols governing social distancing.
“The pandemic has inconvenienced the programme as it had to be on hold from 2020 until recently when auditions were held. We’ve been in full swing since the first week of February,” she says.
The top 65 have started attending workshops, which instil knowledge about the arts and provide practical experience. The free-of-charge classes take place every Thursday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. inside the Joburg Theatre. Graduates are awarded a certificate at the end of the year.
The Joburg Theatre acknowledges the immense talent South African townships possess, that’s why it initiated the APAAM programme in 2014 to give the genre of community theatre a platform to breed nascent talent. The initiative aims to nurture, and mould talented actors in theatre production, acting, and other facets of the arts.
Motloung says APAAM is keen on producing untold South African stories as a way of preserving the authenticity of local communities. The three-year short course is conducted at the Joburg Theatre in partnership with Wits University’s Drama for Life, which is an arts centre for social transformation and healing.
APAAM comprises four modules, studied and performed over three years, including technical acting, designed to help actors learn about lighting for theatre, which is beneficial when directing stage productions. Each selected group is divided into specific classes per single module, which take place only on Saturdays. There’s a combination of on-site workshops and off-site training for practical implementation of skills, to help incumbents build a performance profile.
APAAM currently has five community theatre groups as beneficiaries, including the Litsomong Community Theatre Group from Jabulani Flats and the Perfect Storm Community Theatre Group from Protea South. PONGA Projects is from Hillbrow, Alex Youth in Action is from Alexandra township, and Grace of Destiny hails from Ivory Park in Midrand.
APAAM, which celebrates and promotes cultural diversity while reaching out to and educating audiences from various levels of society, regardless of racial or cultural background, aims to assist community theatre groups in making a name for themselves.
Motloung says each group is required to create content for their productions. They must then market the shows they create, devise an audience strategy, and keep business records. She notes that APAAM has changed the lives of many youngsters. “Some come from a poor background and don’t even have a matric certificate, but through APAAM, in partnership with Wits Drama for Life, which is an accredited programme, they walk out with a certificate from NQF level 4 up to level 6”.
She says Joburg Theatre plans to incorporate more similar programmes into its development offerings in the future, including music and dance.
Written by Buhle Mpeoa
12/0/4/2022