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We Are Instructables
Inclusive Theatre / Casa de África - Courtyard

As collaborators brought together by ASSITEJ SA and ASSITEJ Belgium as part of an intercontinental project called “Letsema!/Let’s Play”, the trio’s methodology of making and receiving instructions has been a hit with young people, both in the African context and abroad.

 

We Are Instructables continues to invigorate young peoples’ understanding of themselves as makers of meaning and agents in the artistic act, rather than recipients. Embedded in the method is our positioning of the child as curator and executor of artistic directives – something many of them often only experience from teachers and adults. Giving the child a chance to ‘give an instruction’ allows them autonomy as to how the artistic act is manifested, to be able to choose the way in which the project unfolds reveals itself as a powerful tool.

Production Credits

Francesco NASSIMBENI, Workshop Leader
Michiel SOETE, Workshop Leader
Gcebile DLAMINI, Workshop Leader

About the Artists

Francesco Nassimbeni is an interdisciplinary performance creator. Participation, collectiveness, enquiry and togetherness are at the heart of his practice. He believes that drama is for everybody, and is inspired by Italian futurist Bruno Munari’s notion of ‘Everybody Art’ – a socially progressive artistic practice predicated on inclusion, diversity of view point, participation, imagination and play. With an M.A in Theatre Making from UCT, he uses performance to uncover similarities in his concurrent practices in graphic design, creative writing, copywriting, poetry and music. His career has spanned a multitude of creative applications, and he has worked as a fashion illustrator, scriptwriter, actor, film and theatre director, teacher, designer and musician. Recently, Nassimbeni’s experimental design film, ‘AEIOU’, for local label ‘Waif’, won the jury prize for ‘Best Experimental Short’ at the Cannes Short Film Festival.

 

Michiel Soete works and lives in Brussels, Belgium. He works as theatre-maker, director, composer, lighting designer, actor and technician.

 

Gcebile Dlamini is a passionate theatre director, writer, and actress dedicated to community theatre and social activism. Born in the picturesque valleys of Swaziland, Gcebile has pursued her academic journey in drama and theatre at prestigious institutions. In 2015 she obtained an Honours Degree in ‘Applied Drama and Theatre’ from the University of the Witwatersrand, and returned to pursue her Masters in Creative Research, which she received with distinction in 2021. Prior to these qualifications, she had completed her B-Tech Degree in Drama at the Tshwane University of Technology in 2011, as well as a Diploma in Drama which she studied at The Durban University of Technology from 2008 to 2010. During her studies, Gcebile was drawn to theatre directing and Community work with the youth, further developing her interest in Community Theatre. In her Honours year, she was awarded the ‘Dr John Kani Theatre for Social Change Award’. Her other awards include a Naledi Award (2015), an Ovation Award (2017), a BASA Award (2021) and, most recently, the Nedbank Arts Affinity Award.

  • TARGET AGE GROUP
    0+
  • AGE CLASSIFICATION
    -
  • REASON FOR CLASSIFICATION
    • Aimed Towards Children
    • Aimed Towards Babies
    • Aimed Towards Adults
Primary Language
English
Accessibility Information
  • Not Applicable
Event Format
All Contributors ‘On the Ground’