Napo Masheane has launched an international festival for female storytellers to connect and tell their stories; women from the theatre world are invited to join.
Soweto, South Africa (06 June 2022) – Napo Masheane has launched an international theatre festival for female storytellers. The festival will be held in Soweto and will celebrate the women of global theatre.
Napo Masheane has had a marvellous career in theatre, from staring on stage to working backstage as a producer, director and playwright. Her career spans over 27 years, with appearances on both local and international stages. Her most notable accomplishments include being nominated for the Daimler Chrysler South African Poetry Award in 2005, winning the Mbokodo theatre award in 2012 and the Pan African Language Award in 2014.
Masheane was born in Soweto but grew up in the Free State. She studied Marketing Management and Speech & Drama and has been a dedicated teacher of her craft. A love of storytelling and a dedication to female empowerment inspired Masheane to create the HerStory International Theatre Festival for Womxn in the performing arts.
“I am beyond myself and in awe that a dream that started as a seed is as of today, unfolding into an artistic legacy…
Bana-Beso… I am honoured to introduce ‘HerStory International Theatre Festival’… which is a layered artistic programme of theatre works and performances by Womxn – for Womxn – with Womxn creatives across the world”
The festival, a first of its kind in South Africa, will play host to performers from local and abroad; including Brazil, Canada, UK, Lesotho, Botswana, Nigeria, Sweden, USA, Madagascar, Namibia, Netherlands, Caribbean Islands, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia.
“I want my words to stop cowering when they should stand tall even when they make others uncomfortable. As black womxn storytellers and theatre-makers we should never apologise for claiming spaces, creating platforms, speaking out, thinking back or talking back against any form of injustice against us; our voices, our bodies, our gender, our sexuality and our very own being. HerStory, by all means, has to be re-birthed, re-lived, re-told, and re-imagined into HiStory” – Napo Masheane
The festival is set to take place at the Soweto Theatre from the 1st of August to the 7th of August 2022. You can find out more about the event here. The 17 womxn artistry will be bringing together a series of 50 creative works- dialogues, drama, poetry, comedy, music, dance and masterclasses at the Soweto Theatre.
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