Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa | Cape Town 2023
Mon May 8, 19:30 - Sat May 27, 21:30
Star Theatre
ABOUT
13th Shakespeare Schools Festival SA for Star Theatre in District Six for its longest season yet in May 2023!
The 13th Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA) has announced its longest season yet, with the event taking place over three weeks at the Star Theatre in District Six from May 8 to 27, 2023. This will mark the third time that the SSFSA has taken place at this beautiful venue within the District Six Homecoming Centre located in the historical heart of Cape Town.
With 38 confirmed groups performing over 17 days, this year's fest was Unplugged and Illuminated in 2023! - will again light up the stage as the SSFSA showcases burgeoning young South African talent. Says festival founder and director Kseniya Filinova-Bruton, “As a team, we are passionate about building optimism, especially post-pandemic, to share hope for the future in what many find to be an unsettling time. The SSFSA is a catalyst for youth empowerment. Over a decade, we have developed a non-competitive, fully inclusive environment where school-going youth can build confidence, improve life skills and have their voices heard, acknowledged, encouraged, challenged and respected.” Notably, the festival welcomes Learners with different abilities and physical challenges, such as the De La Bat School for the Deaf and the Pioneer School for the Visually Impaired, who, like their peers, continue to deliver ground-breaking moving theatre year after year.
One of the unique aspects of this fest is that the Shakespeare plays are no more than 45 minutes long. The full range of Shakespeare plays on offer, with texts also available in isiXhosa, .. and being given free rein over their pared-back productions. Imaginations run wild and young people innovate wonderfully with their props, costumes, sets and interpretations. “ We love how casts turn a play on its head and ‘own’, always thinking out of the box!" says Managing Director Blythe Stuart-Linger. Young people have reported coming out of the festival experience with improved soft skills. Many have also reported a better understanding of English, which empowers them to walk into their exams more confidently!
Throughout the preparation process, the SSFSA team is also on hand to assist with scripts, acting and directing tips with several educational programs established in the lead-up to benefit educators, learner-directors and casts.
The SSFSA has grown into Africa's largest youth drama festival event with a purely Shakespeare focus. Across the provinces - the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape - 29,578 audiences have watched 582 plays by 661 schools performed by 12,435 Learners since 2009. The festival has also built the capacity of 693 teachers as drama and performance art directors and worked with 43 guest and student directors and 38 volunteer directors and facilitators. At one stage, the festival was presented in other countries such as Malawi, Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia.
The Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa 2023 is open for registration to Durban, George and Johannesburg participants. All interested youth drama groups, organisations, schools, and educators are invited to register by the end of April 2023. All further info is on www.ssfsa.co.za | https://www.ssfsa.co.za/how-it-works/
5/8/2023
LALELA HOUTBAY
GENERATIONS BLUE MOON
5/10/2023
REDDAM HOUSE ATLANTIC SEABOARD | Romeo and Juliet
BLOUBERG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL | Twelfth Night
5/11/2023
PARKLANDS COLLEGE | Romeo and Juliet
ATHLONE HIGH SCHOOL | Othello
5/12/2023
SWARTLAND HIGH SCHOOL GROUP 1 | The Taming of the Shrew
SWARTLAND HIGH SCHOOL GROUP 2 | A Midsummer Night's Dream
WESTERFORD HIGH SCHOOL | Much Ado About Nothing
5/13/2023
SPOTLIGHT YOUTH THEATRE | A Midsummer Night's Dream
SOUTH PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL | Romeo and Juliet
5/16/2023
MITCHELLS PLAIN HIGH SCHOOL | Romeo and Juliet
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF CAPE TOWN | Macbeth
5/17/2023
WYNBERG BOYS' ACTING ASSOCIATION | The Tempest
DE LA BAT SCHOOL | Hamlet
5/18/2023
PAREL VALLEI HIGH SCHOOL | Macbeth
HELDERBERG ACADEMY OF THEATRE | Romeo and Juliet
5/19/2023
GENERATIONS IMHOFF CAMPUS | Much Ado About Nothing
LEIDEN HIGH SCHOOL | Macbeth
5/20/2023
THE SETTLER'S HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA | Much Ado About Nothing
GENERATIONS SANDOWN INSTITUTE | The Merry Wives of Windsor
PIONEER SCHOOL FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED | King Lear
5/22/2023
CURRO SOMERSET WEST, SITARI ESTATE | Hamlet
WYNBERG BOYS' JUNIOR SCHOOL | The Taming of the Shrew
5/24/2023
HERSCHEL GIRLS' SCHOOL | A Midsummer Night's Dream
QUEENS PARK HIGH SCHOOL | Macbeth
VICTORIA PARK PRIMARY | King Lear
5/25/2023
EDUCASIONS | A Midsummer Night's Dream
CEDAR HIGH SCHOOL | Hamlet
HOUT BAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL | Othello
5/26/2023
CHRISTEL HOUSE SOUTH AFRICA SCHOOL | Macbeth
FISH HOEK PRIMARY SCHOOL | Much Ado About Nothing
WE FEW | As you like it
5/27/2023
CURRO HERMANUS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL | Richard lll
WESTLAKE PRIMARY SCHOOL | As you like it
BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL | A MidSummer Night's Dream
FESTIVAL PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
PARTICIPANT MEALS
Olivia and her team over at Café Societi at Homecoming Centre in District Six, Cape Town, have opened their hearts and put together a fantastic meal combo for all of our participating learners on the day of their performance. Putting a show on stage is no easy job, and we encourage our participants to ensure that they are energised for the day of their performance with healthy foods and drinks.
A little more about Oliva:
There is something symbolic about the convergence of events that sees the daughter of farmworkers on a wine estate become the owner of Café Societi at Homecoming Centre in District Six, Cape Town. This is not lost on Olivia Damon. Raised as a child in the platteland village of Tulbagh, she followed her parents as a young woman working in the Winelands. " I wanted a different story for my life, " said Olivia. "And Cape Town beckoned with the promise of opportunity." Never one to remain in the background, Olivia's attitude - hard working and always enthusiastic - resulted in her being trained as a barista; after mastering this, she was promoted to waiter, soon capturing guests' hearts. She now has her own stage on which to perform her magic. " know this is an incredible opportunity, " said Olivia. "It is also a tremendous privilege to be the first to launch a Café Societi. The venue has so much history, and I am determined to see that story continue into the future." Olivia and her team look forward to welcoming you with open arms for exceptional coffee and delicious meals!
BOOK YOUR MEAL HERE: http://cafesocieti.co.za/shakespeare
