A Theatre Maker in Mzansi - A Podcast By Katlego Chale

03/04/2024

"There is a basin in the mind where words float around on thought and thought on sound and sight. Then there is a depth of thought untouched by words, and deeper still a gulf of formless feelings untouched by thought." (Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God. p57)

📸From the Djeli Archive, featuring Peggy Mongoato, Mthuthuzeli Zimba and Busisiwe Maphumulo .

01/03/2024

thinking about the projects we really loved but had to let go of along the way... may the ones meant for us return, and may the ones to be let go leave us in peace...

some seem to never want to leave... may these be in a state of prolonged incubation... and may their births find us with arms open wide in a posture of receiving...

thinking especially about working on nso ani with Theatreduo, as i prepare for lessons on the source text: Things Fall Apart... there is so much work still to be done... strength to all on the journey to some kind of epistemic freedom.

Image from the STAINS Archive, realized in collaboration with Pristine Ntwanano Makhubele, Jefferson Tshabalala and the Mesos Media Team, with financial support from Open Society Foundations South Africa, and text developed from the investigative journalism of the Daily Maverick's Marianne Thamm, under the guidance of Mike Van Graan. An image of when the dream comes to life.

01/03/2024

Chinua Achebe said "Africa is a huge continent with a diversity of cultures and languages. Africa is not simple – often people want to simplify it, generalize it, stereotype its people, but Africa is very complex. The world is just starting to know Africa. The last five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad light, and now the time has come for Africans to tell their own stories. … This is really what I personally want to see – writers from all over Africa contributing to a definition of themselves, writing ourselves and our stories into history. One of the greatest things literature does is to allow us to imagine; to identify with people who live in completely different circumstances, in countries all over the world. Through this series, the creative explorations of those issues and experiences that are unique to the African consciousness will be given a platform, not only throughout Africa, but also to the world beyond its shores. Storytelling is a creative component of human experience and in order to share our experiences with the world, we as Africans need to recognise the importance of our own stories."

I see us living out this charge.

Image source: Getty Images

24/02/2024

That post Djeli bliss.

21/02/2024

Kgosi Khehla Chepape Makgato came to watch DJELI - A Play about twins from ancient Mali last night, and here is what he has to say about the work:

https://chepapemakgato.blogspot.com/2024/02/theatre-review-djeli-stirring-blend-of.html?m=1

Get your tickets at theatrearts.co.za

South African Arts

05/02/2024

Sizwe Junior Ndabana made the posters for DJELI - A Play about twins from ancient Mali

Which one is your fav?

25/01/2024

A good performance is as good as a complex reading of a work of literature. The best actors elevate text to the realm of breath (batho ba moya)

12/12/2023

Join us today as we close off our Wonderful GATHERING OF STORIES. Today's Programme has two adjustments. Check it out below:

11:00 Playwriting Workshop with Katlego Chale (yours truly)

16:00 Staged Reading of Defiance by Eddie Thaba

Unfortunately our Open Rehearsal with Iphupho lika Biko will no longer be happening, but we still have some exciting programming to end off this Lovely Festival.

Where? The TX Theatre
When? TODAY!!!
Price? Mahala!!!

Come through!
Woz'bloma nathi!

One final day at

03/12/2023

OUR GATHERING OF STORIES FESTIVAL IS ON THIS WEEK!

We are going to kick start with an opening on the 6th in the form of a conversation about the gathering of stories and the purpose of the festival by Mxolisi Masilela from 18:00pm - 20:00pm

On Thursday the 7th of December we open with a Masterclass about space and body by Mxolisi 'the great' Masilela from 10:00am until 12:00pm and the entrance is free!

Thereafter, we will have a staged reading from 's and our 3/10 Theatre development team as they dive into the play UNCHARTED Directed by Thozama Buhle Busakwe from 13:30pm - 16:00pm and again, it's free entrance!!!!!

Finally, on the 7th, we end off with a performance of MORONGWA by Masai Sepuru from 18:00pm until 19:00pm the ticket is pre-sale R60, at the door they cost R80. Tickets available on webtickets.

More on the rest of the programme to follow. Check out the posters of the lovely performaces that are Joining the Gathering! Join us too at The TX Theatre this week!!!

02/12/2023

ENLARGED, FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE!

29/08/2023

Seen Pha said:

“Seen Pha kwa Chale Chinese Collar”

It is named after a thespian par excellence, Mr Katlego Chale. It is called the Chale Chinese Collar. It is a fabulous garment, the perfect addition to your wardrobe.

A unisex stunner, true to the Seen Pha pantsula chic aesthetic. A fine piece for the discerning Sterring!

It is Pitori in Beijing. Mamelodi in Shanghai. A Wuhan wing that flies in Soshanguve.

It is set to retail at R1500. For the 50% launch special, R750 is the price you pay to have this piece in your collection for the coming spring.

It is available in only five colour ways. These are Green, Black, White, Red and Beige.

Send a Whatsapp to 0699518398 with the letters “CCC” to get yourself this amazing deal! 🤟🏿

Please Note: This sale is valid 29 - 31 August 2023. All garments from this cycle to be ready 15 September 2023. No sooner. Act Now!

28/08/2023

Join us this weekend Association For Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery a collaboration between Creative Research Lab,

I will be reading some poetry by Nondwe Mpuma and Bavino Bachana on Friday alongside dance performance by Lorin Sookool and sound selections by Michael Shakib Bhatch

Welcome to The Creative Research Lab and NEXXUS!

27/08/2023

Also, The Publisher was there in Person, Signing Books for the People!

The People Bought the Books, Mchana!!!
The Love, The Love, Mchana!

📸 Tiisetso Mashifane

27/08/2023

Tune in to SAfm at 09:30. I will be joining Mike Van Graan on air to chat about my career and my practice as a theatre artist.

29/12/2022

Submissions officially close tomorrow! Get your submission in by clicking on the link in our IG bio.

The selected participants will be contacted by the team to set up a short presentation of the work in process. This will take place between 4-6 January and can be in the form of a 15 - 20 minute performance, staged reading or table reading. This process is informed by our quality assurance process.

We look forward to your submissions. This project is a collaboration led by The Writers' Lab in association with the TX Theatre, funded by the NAC.

Poster designed by

30/11/2022

Billy Langa and Mahlatsi Makgonyana here’s to your incredible win for the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre.

28/11/2022

Listen to your favourite podcast by Katlego Chale here 👇🏿

Listen to A Theatre Maker In Mzansi - A Podcast By Katlego Chale on Spotify.

02/07/2022

Season 2 Episode 4 - IBOKWE (Part 2)!

In this episode I continue to chat with the phenomenal Albert Silindokuhle "Ibokwe" Khoza! Albert ‘Ibokwe’ Khoza is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and performance artist. He has performed in multiple solo works and has collaborated with artists such as Gys De Vilious, Warona Seane, Kabi...

14/06/2022

Season 2 Episode 3 - IBOKWE

In this episode I chat with the phenomenal Albert Slindokuhle "Ibokwe" Khoza! Albert ‘Ibokwe’ Khoza is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and performance artist. He has performed in multiple solo works and has collaborated with artists such as Gys De Vilious, Warona Seane, Kabi Thulo, Tsepo...

14/06/2022

Season 2 Episode 2 - Tumy with a "Why?"

We continue our conversation with Boitumelo "Tumy with a Y" Motsoatsoe.

24/10/2020

Due to an unfortunate circumstance, we have to postpone this week's episode of A Theatre Maker in Mzansi. Apologies folks 🙏🏿

21/10/2020

*****PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT*****

Meet our guest for Season 2 Episode 3: FAYE KABALI KAGWA ()

Faye Kabali-Kagwa works as an arts coordinator, critic, culture writer, and a Salzburg Global Seminar Young Cultural Innovators’ fellow. She is an interdisciplinary practitioner with a strong focus on public engagement, identity, and accessibility with a growing interest in curation and producing.

In 2020 she began exploring WhatsApp as a medium for storytelling and debuted her first WhatsApp production, The Shopping Dead, at the virtual National Arts Festival 2020. The Shopping Dead was incredibly popular and broke new ground for theatre. Her second WhatsApp project was a digital art exhibition, Dear Us, Matric 2020, that she curated for the Fak’ugesi Festival in October 2020.

She currently works as a project manager and coordinator for ASSITEJ South Africa, an international theatre organisation that specialises in professional theatre work for children and young people. One of the projects that she is currently managing is the In the Works writing mentorship programme for 10 African playwrights. Through her work with ASSITEJ SA she has managed and market both local and international platforms such as Cradle of Creativity, the National Arts Festival, Obz Family Festival, and the Vrygrond Family Festival.

She is passionate about cultural criticism, how art engages with its audiences, and creating strategies for artist and audience to cocreate work. Working as an arts and culture writer she has had her work published in the Mail & Guardian, New Frame, Culture Review, and the BASA website. She is a trusted cultural observer and critic and have served on the judging panel for the Cape Town Fringe Festival 2016 & 2017, and the SHNIT selection panel for South African short films 2019.

Faye holds an honours degree in Sociology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and the Dramatic Arts from Rhodes University.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WEEK'S EPISODE WILL HAPPEN ON SATURDAY THE 24TH OF OCTOBER AT 5PM ON INSTAGRAM!

14/10/2020

***PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT ***

Meet our second guest for this season Albert "Ibokwe" Khoza ()

Born and based in Johannesburg, Albert ‘Ibokwe’ Khoza is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and performance artist. Silindokuhle
Albert Ibokwe Khoza joined the Hillbrow theatre under Michael Linda Mkhwanazi and Gerard Bester, and completed a Bachelor of Arts in
Dramatic Arts degree at the University of Witwatersrand. He has performed in works by Gys De Vilious, Warona Seane, Kabi Thulo, Tsepo Wamamatu, Gerard Bester, Tarryn Lee, Mwenya Kabwe and Robyn Orlin.

Khoza believes that theatre, dance and art in general is a to weapon create awareness and change.

Join us this Friday at 5pm as we do a deep dive with this amazing multidisciplinary artist!

06/10/2020

****PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT****

Season 2 kicks off with the dynamic slasher BOITUMELO “TUMY” MOTSOATSOE

Boitumelo is the Head of Programmes at Business & Arts South Africa (BASA). She is a trained performer,
facilitator, arts manager and co-
founder of sketch comedy group
THENX. In 2019, Tumy made the Mail
and Guardian 200 Young South
Africans list (Arts and Entertainment)
and was recently selected as one
of the international fellows for the
Chevening Clore Leadership
Programme. In 2017 she was
selected for the BASA award for Cultural Leadership and Management in the Cultural Economy. She has served on the Board of the Pan African Youth Network for a Culture of Peace as the Southern Africa regional coordinatorand Arterial Network South Africa.Tumy holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Policy and Management and an Honours degree in Dramatic Arts, both from the University of Witwatersrand.

Tune in this Friday at 5pm as we go live for Episode 1 of Season 2!

05/10/2020

Yo!

Tomorrow I will announce the first guest for Season 2 of A Theatre Maker in Mzansi. Our guest is a firebrand, a visionary with deep roots onstage and in corporate spaces, also very passionate about creating networks of value for and with artists! Can you guess who it is???

03/10/2020

Yo! Here's a short little promo with our guests from Season 1! Are you ready for Season 2??? Cos I can't wait!

30/09/2020

****PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT****

A THEATRE MAKER IN MZANSI IS COMING BACK FOR SEASON 2!!!!

GET READY! GET READY! GET READY!

GO CHECK OUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON IGTV AND FOLLOW FOR UPDATES!

06/06/2020

A Theatre Maker in Mzansi - Season 1 Episode 8

KHUTJO GREEN

: So, I think we create works not so much for the audience, I think we create works for the time. We create work for what is happening in the universe, in the ether... I think that's why we create work.

Khutjo Green. Part two. We go deeper into her process as a creator. The value of time in her life and to her work. The freedom to create.

Anchor: https://anchor.fm/atmim/episodes/Interview-with-Khutjo-Green-Part-2-ebgc0p

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/interview-with-khutjo-green-part-2/id1497193335?i=1000468327230

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5f4wPMxJSgLtSa84NkIIb2?si=CLRi0COdRhW4WLDuN9wB6g

Enjoy!

29/05/2020

SEASON 1 EPISODE 13 - Chale vs Charle

When Charle sat with Chale and asked Chale why Chale thinks Chale can do what Chale wants. Chale answers Charle with a question for Charle about why Charle thinks it's ok to ask Chale about why Chale does what Chale does. Basically Charle and Chale broke bread! Have at it!

Anchor - https://anchor.fm/atmim/episodes/SEASON-1---BONUS-EPISODE-Katlego-Chale-is-interviewed-by-Masego-Chale-eennks

Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/season-1-bonus-episode/id1497193335?i=1000476174098

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NTrwHqwODCdvu57reHX88?si=EujJzEBPQeOh6SlqkI3UqQ

09/05/2020

A Theatre Maker in Mzansi
SEASON 1 EPISODE 12 - InstaLive with Tshabalala Part 3!

: "Madluphuthu went platinum on the streets, and he has been seen by more people than your favourite play!"

Jump in for one more round of serious reflections on our current situation! Jefferson Tshabalala on the grand willingness to fail, decoloniality and three examples of artists using this time wisely! Listen on all your favourite platforms!

Anchor - https://anchor.fm/atmim/episodes/Interview-with-Jefferson-Tshabalala-Part-3-edqbt8

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LK9lsdlVIUXWrHRvp9u40?si=SgQMyQC2QXSCxcLpr960RA

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/interview-with-jefferson-tshabalala-part-3/id1497193335?i=1000474048398

Enjoy!