Theatre maker Calvin Ratladi curates a five-day international Gathering of artists with and ‘without’ disabilities
Goethe-Institut in cooperation with festival Theaterformen presents “A Gathering in a Better World” in collaboration with the Centre for the Less Good Idea and the Market Theatre – a project that brings the expertise of artists with disabilities to light and focuses on their perspectives, creating spaces for shared experiences from the 1st– 5th March 2023 at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.
South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA)-winning artist (2022) for Outstanding Person with Disability, Calvin Ratladi, has been appointed as the curator of the international theatre project, A Gathering in a Better World (GIABW).
GIABW is a collaborative and interdisciplinary project that seeks to create a worldwide network for artists with disabilities, for whom there are still hardly any structures or offers. It will host a 5-day programme of a series of performances, screenings, workshops and a masterclass aimed at artists, thinkers, scholars, and practitioners who are interested in all-inclusive practice and performance.
“Artists living with disabilities exist everywhere, but they are often very isolated and less visible in the performing arts scene, with fewer professional opportunities and resources. We initiated A Gathering in a Better World together with the Goethe-Institut to build connections between disabled artists internationally and support them to create their own spaces for artistic experimentation and creative exchange. While some disability art networks recently changed the field in the European context, the Gathering focuses on non-European regions and transnational relations”, explains Anna Mülter, artistic director of Festival Theaterformen.
The programme will feature live performances and conversations with seasoned artists, kicking off with a performance by Oupa Sibeko, an interdisciplinary artist whose work moves between theatrical, gallery, scholarly and other public contexts, overtly dealing with matters and politics of the body as a site of contested works. The opening night will also premiere a new collaborative work by Calvin Ratladi, Nadine Mckenzie, Andile Vellem, Chuma Sopotela, Hlengiwe Madlala, Sello Sebotsane, Thulani Chauke, Teresa Phuti Mojela, Anathi Conjwa, Siphenati Mayekiso, and Nceba Gongxeka.