African festival directors gather for exchange of practice Steamroom programme during KINANI

Daniel Maposa

Daniel Maposa is the Founder and Director of Savanna Trust, a Zimbabwean based theatre organisation that specialises in theatre training, production and development. Daniel is also a Visiting Lecturer at the Midlands State University in the Film and Theatre Arts Department. He holds an MA in Arts and Culture Management from Wits University. Daniel is passionate about strategic management in the arts; training and development of young artists as well as using theatre for social change and development. He has vast experience in Arts Management training and is the Lead Trainer in the SADC Theatre Camp, a theatre making and arts management training Camp for young theatre makers from the SADC region, hosted by Savanna Trust. He is also a Board Member of the South African based Twist Theatre Development Projects and the newly formed Mtsinje Theatre (Zambia).

Virginie Dupray

Virginie Dupray graduated from French business school HEC in 1994. She worked at the French Institute in London (1995-1999) as head of Communication and Public relation and at the Centre National de la Danse in Pantin (1999-2003) as head of Marketing and Communication. Since 2003, she is the executive director of the Studios Kabako in Kisangani DRC, a platform for the research and creation on dance and visual theatre founded by Congolese choreographer and stage director Faustin Linyekula. The Studios Kabako, while supporting Faustin Linyekula’s works, also produces and distributes the work young Congolese artists in the field of dance, theatre, music and video. Virginie has conceived and run Pamoja, a unique 3-year residency and coproduction programme for African artists in the field of performing arts implemented by the Studios Kabako in partnership with two organizations, one based in Dakar, Senegal and the other in Maputo, Mozambique. She regularly teaches arts management in Congo (Kisangani, Goma, Kinshasa) and writes and translates for arts magazine and catalogues.

Themba Mbuli 

Themba Mbuli was the 2016 Standard Bank Young Artist for dance. He received his formal training at Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) in 2007. He joined Inzalo Dance Theatre Company as a trainee performer under Moeketsi Koena in 2008 and the following year returned to MIDM as a dancer, teacher and choreographer. Themba’s first ensemble creation Dark City won the Pick of the Fringe award at the FNB Dance Umbrella festival in 2010. In 2011 he joined Theatre Talipot Company in Reunion Island as a principle dancer. Themba began his solo career in 2012 with Dark Cell, performing the work nationally and internationally. Other recent works include Trapped, ASHED, Dark Cell: The Charter, SOLD, Autho(r)ise, The Boat and SOLD TOO (created in collaboration with Trixie Munyama) that will have its premiere at the Kinani Festival 2019. Themba is a co-founder and associate artistic director for the Cape Town based Unmute Dance Theatre company and co-curator of the Unmute ArtsAbility inclusive arts festival that was initiated in 2014.

Naomi Fall

Dancer and choreographer, Naomi Fall explores movement and the audience’s relationship to what is contemporary. Her plural origins and different travels influence her work, and she is particularly interested on the issues of society and those who constitute it, construct it or endure it. Naomi works against the stereotypes that dominate our social interactions. During her training, she studied abroad in Senegal, Ghana and Mali. She graduated in 2009 from Sarah Lawrence College, New York with a Bachelors of Arts. In 2010, Naomi moved to Bamako. She has developed several projects there with European, American and African artists. Her work in Mali moves away from the traditional “international artistic cooperation” patterns. Naomi founded and co-directed the GnagamiX company with Mohamed Coulibaly from 2011 to 2015. In 2016 she created the Compagnie De Ceux Qui which carries her project in and out of Mali. She initiated the Fari Foni Waati dance lab and festival in Bamako and works as its artistic director.

Nobesuthu Rayi

Nobesuthu Rayi’s career cuts across administrative and creative roles. She has held strategic and influential roles in different cultural institutions, funding bodies, arts companies, (Swii Arts Amendment, P.E Opera House, Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Council, National Arts Council, Mostepe Foundation). She is currently the Executive Producer of the National Arts Festival. Nobesuthu has produced several shows and festivals, such as NMB Concert Series, Jazz Afro Sundays, Drama Seasons, Dance Seasons, Yiyo Performing Arts Programme, Youth Theatre Clubs, EC TVET Colleges Performing Art Festival, Iphulo Drama Festival, Women in Arts Festival, Shukuma Provincial Dance Festival, Praat Poetry Festival, Udaba Dance Festival, Imbadu Outreach Programme and American Play Readings. Nobesuthu has also written, directed and performed in productions Rock and Hard place, uVimba uyaphuphuma, The Vendor and Howling at The Storm.

Tegan Peacock

Tegan Peacock is a Pietermaritzburg-based dancer and co-founder of contemporary dance company, ReRouted Dance Theatre. Individually and with her collaborators, Tegan has choreographed and performed on numerous arts platforms around the country, including Dance Umbrella (JHB), Jomba! Contemporary Dance Festival (DBN), Baxter Dance Festival (CTN) and also won a 2016 Standard Bank Ovation Award at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival for BIRD/FISH and continued to perform on the Arena Programme in 2018 with her production Clothes maketh (wo)man. Tegan has participated in residency programmes, locally and internationally, that were mentored by Boyzie Cekwana, the Floating Outfit Project (Desire Davids), Studios Kabako (Faustin Linyekula) and Marcel Gbeffa (Benin). In 2019 she conceptualised and held the first site-specific multi-disciplinary ReRouting Arts Festival in Pietermaritzburg.

Trixie Munyama

Trixie Munyama is a dancer, performer, choreographer and teacher. She is currently a lecturer in Dance Studies and the Acting Head of Department at the College of the Arts, Windhoek. Her professional training includes observing and participating in traditional Oshiwambo dances as a child born and raised in exile in Angola and attending the renowned African Contemporary dance school, E’cole des Sables in Senegal. Trixie formed Da-mâi Dance Ensemble, a dance company that explores narratives relevant to the Namibian social context and locality. Her work is often collaborative, and based around personal experiences, thoughts, ideas and influences shaped by our culture, history, socio-politics, identity, and spaces. Trixie is also interested in investigating the juxtaposition of African dance within the global/modern context and the politics surrounding the African dance body.

Panaibra Canda

Panaibra Canda is an internationally renowned choreographer and dancer. In 1998, he founded Mozambique’s first contemporary dance company, CulturArte, and has since encouraged and fostered many local dance projects and artists. Panaibra has engaged in collaborations with artists in Southern Africa and Europe, and his work has been presented in Africa, Europe, the USA and Latin America. Panaibra won the ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich, Switzerland in 2008 and the Sylt Quelle Cultural Award for Southern Africa in 2009.

Stephen Rolf Bongarçon

Stephen Rolf Bongarçon is a director, dance consultant, pedagogical advisor and choreographer from Mauritius. He is well known for his own dance style SAGAM – a mixture of sega and Indian dance, Kathak. He is the founder and director of the school of professional dance SR Dance Ltd, which was founded in 1995. Stephen graduated from the EAT in France in 2005. He has choreographed several commemorative events in Mauritius, and productions, including Prince Ratsi, Nesans nou Kiltir, Sime Gran Dada, Crenière au vent, Evasion, Parfum d’Afrique, among others. Stephen was named Best Choreographer in Mauritius by the Ministry of Art and Culture of Mauritius, and was the gold medalist at the Jeux de la Francophonie (Beirut 2009) and at the Regional Competition Meeting / France in Ethnic Dance (2009).

Thandazile ‘Sonia’ Radebe

Thandazile ‘Sonia’ Radebe is an award winning contemporary African dancer with a diploma in Theory and Practice of Dance Teaching, NQF level 6 facilitator and Moderator. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, she has collaborated and attended residency programmes in Africa, USA, and Europe. Her work deals with universal socio-economic issues as well as advocating for African narrative sharing of oral history in a witty yet emotionally charged way. She has performed with many platforms such as Dance Umbrella Africa, National Arts Festival, Detours Festival, Tanzhauz-Dusseldof, Germany, ICW-Netherlands, Afrovibes, Shiefting Realities-Ecole de Sable-Shifting Realities, Jomba Festival and The Madea Project-San Francisco- USA among many others. Recently she toured with William Kentridge’s latest opera in Rome titled Waiting for the Sibyl. Currently, she sits in an adjudication panel for dance for the Naledi Theatre Awards. Sonya is also a recurring adjudicator for Department of  Arts and Culture Ishashalazi, SANCTA Theatre Awards Festival and Market Theatre’s Zwakala festival. She is also a co-director at Song and Dance Works.

Tahiry (Tax) Ratsimba Razanamampandry  

With his rap crew Da Hopp, Tahiry (Tax) Ratsimba Razanamampandry is a rapper who has been pioneering hip hop culture in Madagascar since 1991. Tax produces music and beats for a several well-known Malagasy rap artists, and has collaborated with many institutions and organism like Unicef, Orange Madagascar, US Embassy of Madagascar as well as communication agencies. He started to host radio and television programmes in 1997, and founded Oe Kop, an association promoting new artists in urban culture (graffiti, rap, Rnb soul, ragga). In 2013, as part of the US Government Program IVLP (International Visitor Leadership Program) Tax participated in a journalism and broadcast exchange programme in USA. In 2015 he produced the first Malagasy documentary on hip hop values and democracy, called Firenena Hip Hop (Hip Hop Nation). Since 2018 Tax has joined the team at La Teinturerie as residency coordinator. He continues to host a TV/radio programme about culture and arts for a well-known station in Madagascar.

Quito Abrão Tembe

Quito Abrão Tembe holds a bachelor’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management and Cultural Studios. He began his career as a dancer and theatre actor where he took an interest in technical aspects of stage work and furthered his studies in scenography and lighting. He has worked on many long and short films and as a lighting designer for over 50 productions in Mozambique and abroad. Since 2005, he is the artistic director of the Maputo based performing arts organization Kinani, running creative residencies as well as the biennial of international performing arts, the KINANI Festival. His programmation and curatorial work is ongoing, including the development of Southern African regional tour circuits and locally based platforms. He is a member of the jury for the selection of Danse l’Afrique Dance 2020, Marrakesh. CEO of YODINE – cultural management and artistic production. He also teaches light design at the ECA – Universidade Eduardo Modlane, Maputo.

Rucera Seethal 

Rucera Seethal is currently Programme Manager at Pro Helvetia Johannesburg, where she is responsible for the Performing Arts portfolio across Switzerland and SADC, and for co-adjudicating its Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation regional grant programme. She was art director and production manager at Chimurenga, the award-winning arts, culture and politics magazine, between 2004 to 2011. In 2016, Seethal was on the jury of the ZKB prize at Theatre Spektakel, Zurich. In 2020 she takes up the position of Artistic Director of the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, South Africa.

Alli Hajarat

Alli Hajarat holds a M.A in Human Resources from Institut de Gestion Social – France, and a B.A in European Languages from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She is the co-founder and executive director of The QDanceCenter; Nigeria’s preeminent creative organization with an international reputation. Before the QDanceCenter, Alli was the administrative managing director of YK Projects France; where she oversaw all administrative and management aspects of the company, where she also worked on grant management. Previously, she was the human resources manager of one of Nigeria’s leading advertising agencies – DDB Lagos. Her other positions have included administrative assistant to the director of the French economic mission in Lagos and was an arts administration and management intern at the prestigious “centre national des arts du cirque” in Chalons-en-champagne, France.  Alongside her professional endeavors, Alli is also the founder and organiser of “the mummies lounge series” a strictly female-only event.