maps the lived reality of South African black womxn who live in a well-behaved postcolonial South African society, and who struggle with societal standards and how to conform to them. In this new work I explored the idea of collapsing habitual, chronological and often one-dimensional narrative structures depicting black womxn and their lives, as a way to say, “Asijiki, we are forging forward and our voices will be heard, named and seen in hegemonic places that have rejected us.
Theatre has always been an effective mode of storytelling because of the impulse and feeling that one gets when bringing to life imagined worlds, with actor-characters who can confront a live audience. However, the reality is theatre in South Africa — since the ’80s — has been limited in terms of attracting mass audiences, resulting in a decline in theatre-goers and creating a huge gap to fill in reaching digital audiences in post-apartheid South Africa. Aspandemic
has presented new opportunities, with the virtual space making it easier to reach more people, and to keep the tradition alive. This shift to digital couldn’t have come at a more apt time. At Mabu Art Foundation, we urgently strategise about creating an “always on” approach, so that content is always accessible and well-filmed. Quality content can always travel through digital channels.