If it’s May, then it’s time for the Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa (SSFSA) in Cape Town!
Over forty schools will gather at the Star Theatre (District Six Homecoming Centre) from 6-31 May to perform their abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays.
Later this year, there will be festival events in Johannesburg (9-14 September), George (11-14 September) and Durban (22-27 September). Audiences can expect bite-sized Shakespeares as the talented participants present a play of their choice in 30-45 minutes.
The festival provides a unique, non-competitive space for young thespians to develop their theatrical potential in a fun and educational way, while also promoting literacy, literature and live theatre. In preparation for the festival, SSFSA offers training programs for teachers, young learner-directors and school casts to enhance their performances.
More than just a celebration of Shakespeare, the festival is a platform for sharing the stories, experiences and voices of enthusiastic learners, drama societies, educators and community youth groups from diverse backgrounds. SSFSA embraces inclusivity and accessibility. The festival also promotes multilingualism by encouraging learners to draw on their wide language repertoires; a collection of twelve scripts in South African languages is available to support this process.
Since it was launched in 2009, the SSFSA has grown into Africa’s largest youth drama event dedicated solely to Shakespeare. To date, it has worked with 15 027 learners from 807 schools, and supported over a thousand teachers in their roles as drama and performing arts directors.
Bookings via Webtickets.
