Actress and radio personality Smangele Mathibeli and TV actress, Brenda Mhlongo, will host Ishashalazi Women’s Theatre Festival.
It’ll take place at Ekhaya Multi Arts Centre, KwaMashu, south of Durban in KZN from 27 to 30 August.
Brenda said:“The purpose is to celebrate women in the film and theatre industry. This aims to provide a platform where women can discuss their challenges and possible solutions in the industry. The festival intends to nurture young female writers, producers and executive directors to navigate this industry.”
She said the festival will be divided into three parts, and film and theatre experts will hold seminars. “The topic for our opening session is a gendered creative industry role of women. The second session, challenges of female actors in the creative performance arts, will take place the following day. I’ll be part of this session, focusing on how female actors are still oppressed in the industry.”
On the third day, the festival will focus on empowering women in theatre spaces, where Smangele will take part. She said: “Both film and theatre are still male-dominated. This does not favour women.
“Lockdown has also re-emphasised that women are nowhere in the industry.
“For example, most playwrights are males, trying to tell our stories as women. Women are pushed into makeup and wardrobe. As women writers, we need to start telling our own stories in our own way.
“Women are asked to sleep their way up to get positions or roles. We’ve got to empower women so they can fill senior positions without sexual exchange. Leadership has no gender but it’s about being capable to lead and trusting your judgment.”
For the festival, the K-CAP centre invited women writers, actors and directors to demonstrate the role of women in modern society and their work will be showcased.
