Call for SA applications: Zabalaza Festival 2019

The ninth edition of the festival will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 8 to 16 March.

The festival organisers are also looking for one- or two-handers, children’s theatre productions, puppetry, musical theatre, drama, comedy, physical theatre and storytelling.

Applications should be sent to zoleka.helesi@uct.ac.za or jade.adams@uct.ac.za.

Application forms can obtained at the Baxter Theatre Centre offices in Cape Town or can be downloaded here.

The deadline for applications is 31 July.

Selected applicants will be auditioned in July and October, and will be invited to participate in the Zabalaza mini-festival in November. The final line-up will be announced later this year.

Requirements

• Previous participants are welcome to apply provided that they bring an entirely different production.
• Those who auditioned before and were not selected may reapply with the same production provided that they can show that they have worked on improving it.
• Interested community groups and theatre-makers outside the Western Cape are also welcome to apply but the amount of funding available will determine how many of these can be accepted.

“Due to limited funding, we strongly encourage artists around Cape Town to apply,” festival organiser Zoleka Helesi told Music In Africa.

Zabalaza Festival curator Mdu Kweyama said: “We would strongly encourage women writers and directors to apply as the festival provides the perfect platform for young, upcoming theatre-makers to share their stories with a wider audience.”

Widely regarded as one of the premier development programmes in the country, the festival has grown to become an essential platform for fresh talent. Since its inception the event has grown at a rapid rate as interest from artists throughout the Western Cape has increased.

For more information about the festival, visit the Baxter Theatre website or contact Zoleka Helesi on 021 680 3980 or at hezoleka.helesi@uct.ac.za.