A Politics of Legacies and Inheritances in Independent Spaces
door is home to Theatre Arts, an independently run theatre space that has been home to
experimental, quirky, groundbreaking, and new performance voices in Cape Town. The session
started with an excerpt of ‘Ziyana’, a theatre work conceptualised by Nwabisa Plaatjie,
workshopped with the cast, and musical direction by Zimbini Makwetu. ‘Ziyana’ champions the
role of storytelling in society and questions the ways in which black storytellers in particular are
manipulated by institutions and systems that insist on particular kinds of stories be told and only
under the conditions set by agents of institutions of power whether they be academic,
commercial, or philanthropic. The story emerges through a young girl Dianne and her
relationship with her mother and grandmother. The piece weaves music and song into its
performance with the uHadi providing its sonic backbone.
A discussion around independent spaces, their legacies, and their inheritances followed with
rich insights from those in attendance. Itumeleng wa Lehurele asked what does independence
constitute and what are artists trying to gain independence from? Kim Gurney shared her
experience working with various independence spaces on the continent and how storytelling,
refusal as a strategy, and polyvocality were all themes that were consistent throughout her
observations. She also spoke about the precarity of independent spaces and the need to
consistently change shape to respond to the needs of their communities. Phokeng Setai spoke
of having to perform legitimacy as an independent artist or collective in order to be recognised.
He also insisted about collectivity as vital because “power is monolithic and autonomy is
collective”. Shakes Nqaba Molekwana of Location Studio Practices also spoke about faking
legitimacy and how the online space allows for a kind of control and visibility that is difficult to
acquire in physical space. Ukhona Ntsali Mlandu urged the sector to think creatively of ways to
respond to systemic and institutional pressures instead of bowing to them. These served as
prompts for a free-flowing conversation that sought to lay bare the intimacies and eccentricities
of power rather than find distinct strategies to overcome it.
#performance #storytelling #powertalks #powertalkscpt #africancentreforcities #capetown
#politics
