Puppet Making Workshop - Call For Theatre Proposals - Arts Funding - Auditions

Street Theatre Puppet Making Workshop 

Laghu Hari Das, Puppet Master of twenty years experience, offers a Street Theatre Puppet Making Workshop geared to community theatre members with particular reference to those interested in Theatre in Education.  

“We will create giant puppets using recycled material,” says Laghu, who will be assisted by Mayapur Chandra. “The idea is to empower the community theatre members to make giant puppets that can be paraded at festivals, events and carnivals.”

The Street Theatre Puppet Making Workshop, which is funded by ASSITEJ SA’s  Theatre4Youth Programme takes place at Luganda Creche, Luganda Road on Saturday 29^th November from 9.30 to 13.00. Call Mlu Ngidi on 073 3991929 for directions

Registration is at 9.00 am and entrance is free to ASSITEJ and PANSA members. Please wear old clothes and bring your own refreshments. The workshop can take up to 20 participants. 

Please contact Laghu Hari on 079 6333 892 or Theatre4Youth Mentor Gisele on 083 5458546.

Call For Theatre Proposals 

Almagro International Classical Theatre Festival will celebrate the 5^th Almagro Off International Contest next July. Its purpose is to  foster and promote contemporary creation, new languages and innovative proposals related to Baroque theatre and its authors. Deadline for submitting proposals and application forms: 1^st  March 2015

At the same time, we are glad to announce the celebration of the 4^th  International Children’s Baroque Contest, also with the aim of promoting and in favour of the creation and staging of theatre plays about the Baroque, aimed at children, young people and family audiences. Deadline form submitting proposals and application forms: 27^th February 2015.

Selected proposals from both Contest will perform within the 38^th edition of the Almagro International Classical Theatre Festival, to be held next July 2015 (find more information, in our web: www.festivaldealmagro.com)

Auditions - Durban 

Taking place at 12 pm on the Friday 14th November 2014 at the Sherwood Bowling Club off King Cetshwayo Highyway number 860 in Durban, South Africa.

If there is a cue, please wait in your seats and print out and read through the script. When you enter please tell us which character you will be performing as and perform it for about a minute long.

When the audition is done. We will tell you a short list of actors who made it for the callbacks, and the ones who did not.

A chance for more auditions are on Saturday at 9 am-2 pm and the following week, Friday and Saturday, same times as this week.

Contact Dayakar for more info: https://www.facebook.com/dayakar.padayachee

The National Arts Council (NAC) has opened applications for arts funding for 2015.

Individuals and registered arts organisations involved in theatre, dance music, visual arts, craft, literature and multi-discipline have until 12 December 2014 to submit their applications for project funding. This will be the NAC's only round of funding for next year across all seven arts fields.Post-graduate students who wish to pursue their arts studies abroad are also encouraged to apply.

Projects should be of national significance, focusing on the creation of new works and on overall arts development. Those that have a strong community base and have been conceived in collaboration with others working in similar fields are also encouraged to apply.

Says NAC CEO Rosemary Mangope: "At the National Arts Council we are committed to changing the landscape of South Africa's creative industries. Key to this transformation is not only supporting SA's existing centres of arts excellence, but also identifying and fostering emerging talent nationwide - those organisations and individuals that will be our future
standard-bearers for the arts, both nationally and internationally.

"In our on-going efforts to ensure the arts are as inclusive as possible, we are particularly keen to encourage funding applications from arts organisations and individuals that support the involvement of women, youth and those living with disabilities. We also welcome applications from students who are not only interested in studying abroad, but also committed to returning to SA to share the knowledge and experience they have gained with their peers."

Successful applications will be notified on 15 April 2015. This year, the NAC awarded grants totalling over R18 million to applicants drawn from all nine South African provinces, plus an additional R9 million in special project funding to 13 flagship arts organisations.

Application forms and funding guidelines are available from the NAC office

Tel: 011-838-1383  - You can download the forms at www.nac.org.za 

AFDA Open Day - 15 Nov 2014

There will be presentations and fun activities during the day. If you are interested in studying film this is for you. 

The campus is located in Glen Anil at 2a Highdale Road. The programme will begin at 10 until 11am with appointment bookings before from 9am and after until 12noon. Interested parties can contact Milena Gevers to confirm their attendance on milenag@afda.co.za or call 031 569 2252.

Poetry and Twitter Blanket Drive News and News of the AFDA Open Day

FOUR LINERS

BY MOTHER HUBBARD

HO HO

HUM HUM

YO YO

YUM YUM

I LIKE YOU

YOU LIKE ME

HE LIKES US

THAT MAKES THREE

DING DONG

DONG DING

KING CONG

CONG KING

I AM ME

WE ARE WE

YOU ARE YOU

THEY ARE TOO

WHY ARE WE OLD

WHY ARE THEY BOLD

WHY IS IT COLD

WHERE IS THE GOLD

IT'S RAINING

IT'S WET

WE ARE DYING

THAT'S TRYING

SPRING HAS SPRING

COWS MAKE DUNG

I SMELL A RAT

AND THAT, DEAR, IS THAT.

I AM SHORT

HE IS TALL

I AM BIG

HE IS SMALL

I LIKE YOU

YOU LIKE ME

WE ARE HAPPY

SO IS HE

Written by Andrew Verster the Writer and Author Based in Durban. 

ANDREWVERSTER784@GMAIL.COM

29 May at 6pm Bring Your Blankets to Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Jozi or Cape Town

#TBD2014

AFDA Durban

(The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and live Performance)

Open Day May 3

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) Durban is hosting an Open Day for prospective students on Saturday, 3 May from 10am to 12noon at the Campus in Glen Anil, Durban North 

Exciting times for prospective students as this Open Day will provide them, (and their parents) and guests insights into the AFDA programme, a tour around the facilities, meetings with current students and introductions to the courses given by various AFDA staff. 

AFDA has a heavy-weight academic staff complement who have worked in the film and live performance industries. Franco Human, an experienced producer and film maker, is Dean, with film-maker Richard Green Head of the Film School, director and academic Lloyd O’Connor, Head of the Live Performance School, scriptwriter and film-maker Janet van Eeden (whose short film A Shot at the Big Time has just been selected for the Cannes Film Festival), as production course administrator and script writing lecturer and Laszlo Bene, a producer and director who has worked on a number of national and international productions as Head of Television. 

Prospective students can contact Durban-based Marketing Officer, Milena Gevers for more information or to book an interview for on the day: milenag@afda.co.za or call 031 569 2252. For more info about the school go to www.afda.co.za or on twitter @AFDADurban.

This Edition By +Fred Felton 

AFDA Durban to host a Open Day May 3 for prospective film students and News of a dinner for Legal Minds

AFDA Durban (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and live Performance) to host Open Day May 3

(Lights, Camera, Action!)

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) Durban is hosting an Open Day for prospective students on Saturday, 3 May from 10am to 12noon at the Campus in Glen Anil, Durban North

The new campus, which opened in 2013 year, has also recently invested over R 1, 2 million in additional technical equipment and campus facilities. This includes a new Surround Sound Suite has been kitted with the latest sound equipment which enables filmmakers to reproduce everyday sound effects which are added to film, video and other mediums in post-production to enhance audio quality.

An Editing & Visual Effects Suite has been installed, which has the latest equipment for the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments that look realistic, but would be dangerous, expensive, impractical, or simply impossible to capture on film. The Actor’s Studio that has also seen an extension with a new fully equipped stage and additional equipment.

Plus the cinematography department has acquired the latest camera equipment - some of the exciting gadgets include pocket sized cinema cameras, a steadicam and a helicam for overhead filming. 

Exciting times for prospective students as this Open Day will provide them, (and their parents) and guests insights into the AFDA programme, a tour around the facilities, meetings with current students and introductions to the courses given by various AFDA staff.

AFDA has a heavy-weight academic staff complement who have worked in the film and live performance industries. Franco Human, an experiencedproducer and film maker, is Dean, with film-maker Richard Green Head of the Film School, director and academic Lloyd O’Connor, Head of the Live Performance School, scriptwriter and film-maker Janet van Eeden (whose short film A Shot at the Big Time has just been selected for the Cannes Film Festival), as production course administrator and script writing lecturer and Laszlo Bene, a producer and director who has worked on a number of national and international productions as Head of Television.

Prospective students can contact Durban-based Marketing Officer, Milena Gevers for more information or to book an interview for on the day: milenag@afda.co.za or call 031 569 2252. For more info about the school go to www.afda.co.za or on twitter @AFDADurban.

29 May 6pm Bring a Blanket to Protea Hotel Fire & Ice Jozi or Cape Town

#TBD2014 

UNISA COLLEGE OF LAW

INVITE ALL LAW / LEGAL ENTITIES THEIR STAKEHOLDER DINNER

Justice C N Patel, Judge President KwaZulu Natal High Court will address you amongst other speakers

TUESDAY, 13 MAY 2014

17:30 FOR 18:00

Chamber Square, Lion Match Office Park

892 Umgeni Road

ENTRANCE: FREE

Sharmala Pillay – 031- 335 1017

pillays@durbanchamber.co.za

Short Story Time, Events and News from AFDA Durban

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT by Andrew Verster

“Go right down to the bottom of  Uruguay, “ she said, “right to the tip and you can’t miss Montevideo.”

“And then, what?”

“That’s where my great-great Aunt Matilda was born. But of course, unless you speak the language you are, to use her phrase, “like a lost fart in a thunderstorm.”

“How, then, did she happen to be born there?”

“The Waratoga, it was a freighter that took a few passengers, stopped there as a Mrs. Roughead (unfortunate name), had had an attack of Angina and needed to see a doctor urgently. Touch and go, they said.  And Aunt Matilda’s father who was known for his curiosity, did a bit of wandering about to pass the time and got to the harbour to see the Waratoga sailing into the sunset.”

“So?”

“He shrugged his shoulders and made the best of it.”

“And?”

“He went to the Embassy and they put him in touch with a local businessman in the import/export business and before you could say Bob’s Your Uncle, he had made a fortune, married a local beauty queen, produced a handful of exquisite children, and then, in the dark of night, boarded a steamship and left for who-knows-where? Interpol could not trace him. His photo was on the Google for months. He simply vanished into thin air.”

“So what is the point of the story?”

“None that I can think of.”

“So why are you telling me this?”

“Can’t think.”

“Nice talking to you anyway. You said your name was?”

The End

Andrew Verster is a writer and artist - email: andrewverster784@gmail.com 

For more info and to register email news@mapit.co.za

New Faces at AFDA Durban Campus

 Joining the AFDA Durban Campus this year are a few new faces to boost the already impressive lecturing line up and a fusion of experience and youth.

Carmen Langston Mitchell; a well-respected and well-known television personality has recently just joined the Durban team with a wealth of experience where she will be lecturing and mentoring first and second year television students. Langston Mitchell has an impressive career in the media industry, where she has worked locally and internationally as a producer, director, scriptwriter and presenter for programmes including “Top Billing” which airs on SABC 3, “The Cosmo Show” and “Carte Blanche” on M-Net, “60 minutes”, BBC’s “Changing Rooms” and BBC’s “Newsround” as well as “BBC World News”. To top her list she has also worked as a social editor and features writer for Style Magazine and was the celebrity lifestyle columnist for Media 24’s YOU Magazine. AFDA Durban Campus’ students will be happy to have her by their side.

To give current AFDA Students hope for the future, a former AFDA Cape Town Campus student, Ashleigh Hart who obtained an AFDA Bachelor of Arts Honours in Motion Picture Medium has also joined the Screen Design Department in the school of film as a Costume, Make Up and Styling & Production Design Lecturer. Hart recently won Gold at the AFDA 2013 Awards for Costume, Make-up and Styling for the film The Other Woman (an Honours Graduation Film) directed by another former AFDA Cape Town Campus student; Thea Small where Hart was awarded Best Post graduate Film and the Critics Choice Award. During post graduate year at AFDA, Hart also worked on the feature film Die Windpomp, as well as a Ster-Kinekor Vision Mission commercial.

And last, but not least is New Marketing Assistant; Purity Shezi-Magaya who has joined the Marketing Department headed by Milena Gevers at the AFDA Durban Campus.  Magaya graduated with a National Diploma in Marketing Management, and also comes with a bag of experience having worked with the Vodacom KZN Regional offices and other various brands at The Creative Council promotions agency.

Franco Human, the Dean of the AFDA Durban Campus is very excited with the new team; “We welcome the new staff to the Durban Campus. I am sure that they will add much value to their respective departments. It’s our second year since our opening of this campus and we look forward to adding to the benchmark set by our first intake of students.”

For details on registration and general information, call (031) 569-2252 or e-mail milenag@afda.co.za

Article by Lauren Immelman

Edited by +Fred Felton 

News from AFDA, Auditions for MC's, Theatre News and News for Writer's

News from AFDA

AFDA  (The South African school of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) is hosts an Experimental Film,TV and Music Festival around the country

AFDA (The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance) will host Experimental Film, TV and Music Festivals at their three campuses throughout South Africa over the June long weekend: Durban on Friday, June 14 and Johannesburg and Cape Town on Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15.

The festival is an annual event that focuses on the third year students Experimental Module that they do in the first semester of the year. With Durban campus being so young, it will be screening their current first years’ short films made this semester and include the top third year experimental short films from the Johannesburg and Cape Town campuses. A selection of the best theatre and musical pieces from their current students will also be performed.

‘This mini festival concept is great for students as they get an opportunity to gauge audience reaction to their work.” says Garth Holmes, Chairman of AFDA. “From here they are able to refine their work further as they head for the final six months of their degrees.”

In Durban there will be food and beverages on sale and music in the outdoor entertainment area. Once off entry is R20 per person, which allows one to attend any of the screenings and theatre productions in the programme.  Tickets for Johannesburg are R15 per movie and in R10 in Cape Town.

For further details on the Durban programme email dbncampus@afda.co.zaor call 079 833 1682. For Cape Towncontactrushaan@afda.co.za or call  021- 448 7600 and Johannesburg contact kirsten@afda.co.za or call 011 482 8345.

For more info about the Festival and starting times go to www.afda.co.za.

(Source - AFDA) 

Want to be an MC? 

Auditions for Aspiring MCs

Aspiring presenters are invited to audition to MC the Finals of the ACT | DALRO | Nedbank 2013 Scholarship Awards.

After a series of countrywide auditions due to take place in July, the fifth annual ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Performing Arts Scholarships will culminate in a final performance, hosted by UJ Arts & Culture at the University of Johannesburg, on 30 September 2013. Six finalists will have the opportunity to showcase their acting, dancing and singing abilities to a live audience and an independent panel of judges as they compete to win one of three performing arts scholarships, with a combined value of R315 000. Performed in the format of a variety show, the showcase of their talents needs to be brought together by a charismatic presenter into a seamless performance for the audience and judges to enjoy.

“MCing the Performing Arts Scholarship Awards was the best thing that has happened to me!” says Bongani Nomcweya, host of the 2013 Scholarship Awards Finals. He went on to say “MCing the competition opened another door in the Nedbank house – as a result, I also MCed the Nedbank Community Builder's Awards Ceremony and it was also a great success - I was told I did an ‘Outstanding Job’!” His advice to those auditioning: “They must remember to be their best and to 'ar-ticu-late' - one of the things I kept on forgetting to do - and to the one who is going to get it, they must work to keeping the audience’s stomachs painful throughout, but most of all they should have FUN!”

Auditions for the person to fulfill this role of ‘dynamic host’ will take place around the country on the same dates as the auditions for the Scholarships themselves. There is no registration fee, and interested candidates can apply in writing, to Rahiem at rahiem@act.org.za.

Auditions will take place:

22 June: Durban, Hosted by the Stable Theatre

24 and 25 June: Cape Town, hosted by the Theatre Arts Admin Collective

27 June: Port Elizabeth, hosted by the PE Opera House

8 and 9 July: Johannesburg, hosted by UJ Arts & Culture

13 July: Bloemfontein, hosted by the Mangaung Drama and Dance Group

For more information or to register for participation in the scholarships programme, please visit www.act.org.za

(Source - Pansa) 

Theatre News

On 6 June, for one night only, Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival and the Catalina Theatre brings you the award winning production, Sunday Morning. A delightful play performed by James Cunningham and written by Nick Warren. Tickets for Sunday Morning are available from Computicket at R80 a ticket. To book visit http://online.computicket.com/web/event/sunday_morning_catalina. All proceeds of the show will go towards the Theatre Benevolent Fund (TBF) as part of the Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival cycle tour.

(Source - Pansa) 

 Can You Feel It? 

The 2013 Young Performers project staged by PANSA in Durban between 29 June and 14 July is written and directed by Peter Court and Charon Williams-Ros.

The Performing Arts Network of South Africa KZN (PANSA) is pleased to announce that the 13th annual Rainbow Young Performers Project for 2013 is going to be the original production, Can You Feel It?, written and directed by Peter Court and Charon Williams-Ros, which will be at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 29 June until 14 July.

Bookings through Computicket.

(Source - Pansa )

News For Writers

WGSA Knowledge Sharing Session Tonight for all Writers.  

Venue:  Ike's Bookshop, 48a Florida Road, Durban

Time: 6pm 

Entrance is free but all bookings must be done through admin@writersguildsa.org.  Limited space available– so BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW!!!!

(Source - WGSA)