Developing Drama in the Overberg and Cape Winelands

On Friday 18 September 2015 the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) hosted the biggest production development workshop since the inception of the drama festival initiative. A total of 119 youth who participated in the Overberg and Cape Winelands drama festival joined this weekend’s development programme at the Okkie Jooste Cultural Centre.

All of the groups selected during the adjudication showcases in August received in-depth training on production development. Mr Thami Mbongo and Bongile Mantsai from the Baxter Theatre’s Zabalaza Festival provided the youth this weekend with feedback from their productions to enable them to elevate their current productions for the Finale Showcases. Senior lecturers at Stellenbosch University, Mr Rufus Swart and Petrus Du Preez conveyed valuable information to the writers and directors on script development and story structure.

Project manager for the Drama programme, Moeniel Jacobs, says this initiative has grown even more than expected and has become part of the youth’s lives. “This has been our biggest workshop for the Drama Festival. It has been one of the best conducted with the youth. They have shown great growth in the quality they want to showcase. It is about quality, not quantity.”

These groups will return to their communities and prepare for their Finale Showcases on 14 and 21 November in Swellendam and Stellenbosch respectively. Two groups will then be identified at these finales to represent their district at the Tri District Drama Finale at the Suidoosterfees in May 2015.  They will also get an opportunity to showcase at the Baxter Theatre’s Zabalaza Festival. From 2 to 4 October 2015 all the finalists from the Eden festival programme will receive production development in preparation for their finale.