Nwabisa Plaatjie: Empowerment and Sustainability in South African Theatre

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S1.E4.
Award-winning South African playwright/director Nwabisa Plaatjie shares gems from her artistic journey as a theatre maker from a long line of storytellers.
From her groundbreaking work in Cape Town to her roots in rural South Africa, Nwabisa shares how she's reshaping cultural narratives, fostering community connections, and redefining self-care.
Nwabisa Plaatjie is an independent producer, theatre-maker, and director based in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds an MA in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town, and her practice draws from traditional oral storytelling practices to create plays that challenge systemic discrimination in the theatre sector.

Her artistic prowess and leadership have been recognized through various special grants and commissions and support the creation of nine original pieces, with two touring internationally.

Her latest play, Ziyana, was created through the support of the International Network For Contemporary Performing Arts’ Local Journeys for Change, Georgetown University’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, where she was a Global Fellow, as well the Institute of Creative Arts, and encouraged her to make various contributions in the National Theatre and Dance Policy “Breathing New Vision into Theatre and Dance in South Africa.”

Nwabisa is devoted to stories, people, and culture. She is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship [2020/21], an IETM Global connector [2022] and an ISPA Global fellow [2022 and 2023 cohort].

From 2018 to October 2022, she coordinated and curated the Baxter’s Masambe Theatre, driving its relaunch as a space for performance, collaboration, mentorship, and networking.

In 2023 she launched her “An artist is made” project, celebrating community and recognizing the role of social and cultural capital in our creative journeys. The project was funded by the National Arts Council and included plays, workshops, an archiving project, and community building platforms.
KeyBARD is produced, written, and hosted by Thembi Duncan.
Theme music by Sycho Sid.
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Chapter

1. Nwabisa Plaatjie: Empowerment and Sustainability in South African Theatre (00:00:00)

2. Biography (00:00:22)

3. The Journey to Professional Theatre (00:02:14)

4. Directing FLORENCE and WINE IN THE WILDERNESS (00:04:38)

5. Universal Themes in Theatre Ecosystems (00:08:07)

6. Mentorship and Leveraging Experiences to Produce Theatre (00:10:24)

7. Sustainability in South African Theatre (00:13:39)

8. Motherhood and Shifting Priorities (00:15:40)

9. Intentionality in the Creative Process (00:19:45)

10. Professionalization in Theatre (00:21:20)

11. Developing a Process of Reflection (00:25:22)

12. Continuing a Lineage of Storytelling (00:30:40)

13. FRAGMENTS and XHALANGA BLUES (00:31:47)

14. A Perfect Play for the Covid Era (00:33:22)

15. Shifting Perspective on Promotion and Pitching the Work (00:35:47)

16. Contemplating the Intended Audience (00:37:08)

17. Artists who Inspire (00:39:45)

18. A Surprising and Exciting Possibility for Collaboration (00:44:48)

19. Ellen Stewart and La MaMa (00:49:55)

20. Infusing Self-Care into the Creative Process (00:54:10)

21. Looking ahead (01:06:19)