Samanthole Arts Foundation

I have never been a fan of Idols , a singing competition on M-NET that is on our screens every Sunday. I only come across Idols on Facebook when my friends update about the winner. I only learnt of the winner of this season on my Facebook page. I was not going to offer my opinion about whether the contestant deserves to win or not until I bumped into a very nasty comment about the winner. Noma Khumalo, the beautiful young lady who won the Idols of this season, was being shamed for her body size. What puzzled me more was that the person who body shamed Noma is a young woman herself. I cannot believe that in this age we still judge young woman’s successes based on their body types. It is in fact worrying that in a world where young women are fighting for space to exist, in a patriarchal society, they still have to deal with shaming from fellow young women.  Idols SA Noma Khumalo . Picture from Facebook Society itself is harsh on young black women, because too much judg

The BIRTHDAY is a travelogue stage piece which mesmerized audience from around Johannesburg after its successful runs at Jeppe College in the city of Polokwane, a week earlier. BIRTHDAY is written and directed by Roelf Matlala, a multitalented theatre practitioner with a heart of gold when it comes to theatre and arts development. This stage piece, managed by Ramadumetja Rasebotsa, boasts a seasoned and raw aptitude of Limpopo based talents such as radio veteran drama actor, Chukudu Manaka,  Seitebaleng Dire, Keitumetse Tlokwana, Charles Magagane, Charity Sehlapelo, Enny Modiba, Mapuleng Maake and Robert Mathipa. Leo, Shokie and their mother Maggie. Image Courtesy of Roel Matlala. In Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s discretion, “A democratic participation of people in the shaping of their own lives or in discussing their own languages that allow for comprehension is seen as being dangerous to the good government of a country and its institutions. African languages addressing themselve

Performed by seasoned theatre practitioners; Khutjo Bakunzi Green, Mwenya Kabwe and Nomantshego Kelebogile Khutswane – Three Witches is a satirical piece with a tremendous revolution brewing up, a revolution which drives the performance into a thought-provoking state of the mind. On stage appears three women, seemingly sitting on top of each other in their white-like angel drapes, with mealies or corn maize hanging lazily as neck-pieces around their them – powerful recitation of poetry in the background narrating ancient ancient tales – with a punctuation of words such as “She is the one who awakens the sea from sleeping, that one who reads the lines of the land and tells the secrets buried …”. While an audience’s ear still virtuoso at the mesmeric words of grace and ecstatic power, the sight is cajoled with motions of three women on stage, seemingly in the fields tilting the soil at times or affectionately submitting greater attention and care at a child embraced in arms. Imag

Olive Tree Theatre, a community based theatre development, aimed at bridging a gap between the mainstream theatre and alternative spaces located in Alexandra Township and focuses on developing and uplifting women and the youth around the area. The OTT is hosting its 5 th International Women’s Theatre Festival 2016 under the artistic directorship of Ntshieng Mokgoro, the 2008/9 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner for Theatre. Mokgoro is the founder and creative director of Olive Tree Theatre. All the productions in this festival are written, directed and performed by women from across the SADC region. These include workshops and panel discussions spearheaded by women. Nelago Gloria Shilongoh, Images Courtesy of Olive Tree Theatre, Photographer: Fikile Smynes  African languages across all corners of the continent have similarities one way or the other. Words may assonant the same way but mean totally different thing in other languages. In the case of KUKU, a stage pie

Written and directed by young seasoned griotess, Momo Matsunyane, PENNY is an expression that reconnoiters some of the untold encounters actors and artists in general, especially black talents, have to face in what Matsunyane terms ‘fickle business’ of show and the repercussions of ‘mixing business with pleasure’. Before PENNY TSHIPI, played by Zethu Dlomo, blisteringly walks on stage, audience are treated to the soulful melodies of Nina Simone reverberating words “Babe don’t let me be misunderstood…” and from the word go, lines from Simone’s song reminds you not to misunderstand the piece. The play is produced by Matjamela Motloung from Ruban Noir Productions, another vocal black consciousness fellow.  Penny Tshipi, performed by Zethu Dlomo. Images Courtesy of Olive Tree Theatre. Photographer: Fikile Snymes   Easily identified with black consciousness from her production, Momo Matsunyane breathes Steve Bantu Biko’s ideology and pride of blackness into life. Audience are