Category Archives: TYA

Games, Gaming, International Collaboration, My Projects, Travelling, TYA, Writing

The Border Game

30 Oct 2021 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

As part of The War You Don’t See project, I am currently developing a game that is intended to educate young people about the history of (pre- and post-colonial) borders in Africa and how they affect our movement within the continent. The game animates the borders that divide Africa, making it possible for players to explore and experience the different ways travel and movement is restricted or limited for Africans on their own continent.

The game is intended for general and school use.

The initial phase of the game was developed this May in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where I took part in a writer’s residency programme organised by The Goethe-Institut.

List of participants at the writer’s residency

I went there with the intention of writing a play about the same theme for a young audience, but the task took an interesting twist, instead of writing about the issue I became more and more interested in activating the audience to not only think about the theme but to act on it. I began to experiment with different ways I could activate the audience to be a part of this (re)imagination. The result of the experimentation was that I walked away from the residency not with a play, but a game. The game takes as its starting premise, a seemingly, simple question: where are Africans allowed to go – visa free – on their own continent? The outcome is a game that animates these colonial and post-colonial borders that divide Africa and allows the players to experience how the borders limit their movements on the continent.

The Africa that was.
The Africa that is.
The Africa that will be?

The game exposes the player to Africa’s transformation from its pre-colonial to the now post-colonial borders. After playing the game, the players are invited to discuss and (re)imagine, 1) what a post-post-colonial Africa could look like, 2) and how Africans should be allowed to move in it.

For school use, an educational resource pack is being developed that will enable teachers to use the game as a starting point in activating their pupils to learn about the history of Africa’s borders.

The concept of the game has been fully developed, and now I am working on the prototype that will be launched in the near future. If you’d like to follow the developments of the game or be notified when the prototype is being launched, please get in touch.

Potential collaborators are also welcome to make themselves known to me! ❤️

Looking forward to sharing this beautiful project with you! 😊

International Collaboration, Press Release, Travelling, TYA, Writing

Eliot Moleba at the Schauburg Theater, Munich.

6 Dec 2018 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

READING IN GERMAN AND ENGLISH

The South African playwright Eliot Moleba is invited for two months at the Künstlerhaus Villa Waldberta in the state capital of Munich. During this time he will work closely with the Schauburg. Our actors joyfully present resche texts from his pen. Eliot Moleba and his German publisher Bernd Steets report from the writing room in dialogue with dramaturge Anne Richter.

Date: Sunday, December 16, 2018 | Venue: Schauburg Theater

For more info, visit this link: https://www.schauburg.net/de/node/1482

International Collaboration, Travelling, TYA

Next Generation Program 2018 – ASSITEJ Pakistan

17 Aug 2018 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

Young and emerging performing artists from 11 different countries, with 10 theatre makers from Pakistan, collaborated in the cross-cultural workshop between February 27 and March 4.

Performance showcase was on March 4 at Peeru’s Cafe in collaboration with Raafipper Theatre Workshop.

Brief Profile of Selected International Participants

Holds degrees in Performing Arts and in Comparative Literature and Croatian Language. Have professional expertise in Post dramatic and documentary Theatre, Editing, Project Management. She has been engaged in various Child and Youth empowerment projects at various platforms. Her recent work includes International Cooperation Coordinator as a Croatian candidature at Assitej World Congress in Cape Town.

Holds Master degree in Theories of dramatic arts and the media and currently pursuing his PhD in Theatre Theories and Theatre History. He works as a freelance theatre and film director, and also a member of the Society of Drama Artists of Serbia and ASSITEJ Serbia. His recent award winning work as a director and composer includes The White Whale’s Song

She has taken professional training for Clownery and Storytelling. She has worked as a Director and assistant director in various theatres in Frankfurt. Have also held various workshops with children in different children and youth centers, sociocultural district houses and schools. Currently she is working with a Theatre group as a director and author that focuses on deaf and hearing children.

He holds a degree in Dramatic Art with research interests in probing youth identities through storytelling. He is a practicing Artist and Scholar with experience in creative and academic writing, consultancy, directing, teaching, and facilitating workshops and training sessions for more than 5 years. He has worked on various projects as Director and Writer for local and International theatres and television. He currently works with South African State Theatre as part of artistic team.

She has been trained in Jazz, Tap and contemporary style dancing from Columbia University. She has vast experience in Choreography at various platforms internationally. She is currently performing as member of the company with Second Nature Dance Company, Seoul. Her performance “R U Ready?” with Second Nature Dance Company was awarded as Best Performance of 2015 by the Contemporary Dance Association of Korea.

She is a theatre and film actress, performance maker and writer. She is a core member of Manila – based contemporary performance collective, Sipat Lawin Ensemble, which holds workshops for children and adults. Trained primarily as a stage actress, her recent performance works include The Mousetrap: Anti- Hamlet and Sipat Lawin’s Gobyemo, which were presented at various festivals. She was also the member and participant of World TYA Creation Series residency program of the ricca ricca festa International Theatre Festival Okinawa for Young Audiences 2017.

She holds a degree in Drama and Theatre. Currently working as the Drama and Theatre teacher in a rural school in Colombo. Also working as a resource person in Theatre Make Up for Drama and Theatre training Workshops for students and teachers. She also holds professional experience as a script writer and actress and have won various awards.

She holds a degree in Dramatic Writing and Theatre. She has been an active member of various workshops and conferences related to Theatre, Acting, Documentary Writing, Child and Women empowerment.

She holds a degree in Theatre Education from Zurich University of Arts. Shabana has worked as photographer, Technical Support and Assistant Director in different Theatres in Switzerland. She has also acquired training in Choir Singing and Choreography from Thalia Theatre, Germany. She is fluent in German, Persian, Urdu and English.

Holds Master degree in Drama and Theatre. He has an extensive background as Theatre performer, Director, Screen writer and Musician. Sudarshana represented Sri Lanka at International Directors’ Seminar 2017 ASSITEJ Oldenburg, Germany. His recent direction, Happily Ever After, has won awards in Best Drama, Best Music and Best Costume Designer categories at national level.

She is an actress by profession and has been involved in theatre arts since long. She is working in Cia Paideia de Teatro as pedagogue and director with young people. She has also participated in several Paideia’s activities, study groups, projects, and especially in the festival “A Window to Utopia” production in the past few years.

Graduated from The Academy of Arts Minsk, Timofei is an Actor and Director by profession. His short film “Along The Street” was highly acclaimed and was presented at several International Film Festivals. He is fluent in Russian, English, German, Belarusian. As an actor, he has played 16 roles in cinema and 3 roles in cartoons as sound actor. In 2017, he was a representative on the General Assembly of the Europe: Union of Theatre Schools and Academies (Budapest).

To read a report of the collaboration, click here.

To read more about ASSITEJ Pakistan, click here.

International Collaboration, Travelling, TYA, Writing

Writer-in-Residence in Austria

17 Aug 2018 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

Eliot Moleba is invited to develop a new play for a young audience by The Federal Chancellery of Austria, in cooperation with KulturKontakt Austria. The thematic focus of the piece will be on (im)migration, illegal settlements and occupation. The work will explore how such a dense for-ever-contemporary political topic can be made accessible to a younger audience that is living in a world that is increasingly building walls to separate “them” from the “others”, rather than bridges – interlocutors – to help us overcome these differences.

As part of his stay in Austria, Moleba will also conduct workshops with schools, teaching and training teachers.

To read more about the residency program, click here.

To read more about the school project, click here.

ASSITEJ France, TYA, Writing

1 jour 1 pièce / 1 day 1 play / 1 dia 1 obra

3 Aug 2017 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

ASSITEJ France has the pleasure to invite you to take part in its instant playwriting game, “1 day, 1 play”, organised to celebrate the World Day of Theater for Children (WDT), on March 20th.

Last year, with the support of ASSITEJ networkWrite Local, Play Global, 45 playwrights from 14 countries took part of it.

As for the last editions, we chose the simplest rules, to ensure anyone interested in playwriting and TYA can participate.

All you have to do is to select a date, from March 1st to 15th, and to register here. On the D-day, you will be sent the subject, and surprise helpers for your story. You then will have 24 hours to write and send your short play (500 to 700 words), in your own personal style and language.

Plays will be translated into French, and released on 1 day 1 play’s website, as in 2014 and 2015, at the occasion of the WDT.

To see my contributions, click here.

International Collaboration, My Projects, Press Release, TYA, Writing

Two Young Artists from Cwmbran and South Africa Breaking New Ground with Arad Goch

3 Aug 2017 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

There was a lot of excitement and energy in Canolfan Arad Goch throughout March and April, as two young artists, Chris Harris and Eliot Moleba worked on an exciting theatre project based on immigrants and race. Chris from Cwmbran and Eliot from South Africa were working through the 6X1 scheme with Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch until the beginning of April. In that time, the two young artists created a new piece of theatre, and did so by taking advantage of Arad Goch’s facilities and expertise.

Eliot and Chris first met during the International Theatre Festival, Agor Drysau / Opening Doors in 2014 and Eliot Moleba mentions that they’ve wanted to work together since then;

“Since 2014 we’ve been trying to work together. It’s surreal to think, here we are!” (Eliot Moleba)

Eliot Moleba is a 29 year old artist from South Africa who specialises in theatre work. At the moment, Eliot is a Resident Dramaturg with the South African State Theatre. One of his most recent touring productions was The Orphan Of Gaza which toured around South Africa in 201[5].

“It was exciting working on something meaningful which responds to a current global issue” (Eliot Moleba)

Eliot came to know about Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch after being accepted to do a placement with the company during the Agor Drysau Opening Doors festival in 2014. The opportunity was arranged through ASSITEJ (l’Association Internationale du Theatre Pour L’Enfance et La Jeunesse – The International Association Of Theatre For Children and Young People), where Arad Goch’s Creative Director Jeremy Turner was a member.

“We’ve kept in touch since then and are extremely pleased that Eliot is now working with a young Welsh writer and performer, Chris Harris who started his professional career with Arad Goch, after graduating from Aberystwyth University.” (Jeremy Turner)

Chris Harris’ first professional job in the theatre industry was as an actor in Arad Goch’s production Madog. By now, Chris works as an assistant at Ysgol Gymraeg Cwmbran. As well as this, Chris often works with Sherman Theatre, and has also been working on his own original theatre work. His one-person show Golf Course War Machine opened in Arad Goch and is touring theatres at the moment and there was a reading of his latest drama, which won the Richard Carne Award, Heterochromia on the 26^th of April at the Sherman Theatre.

“I love exploring working in a way where language isn’t integral to the storytelling” (Chris Harris)

Chris and Eliot’s project touched on themes such as race, immigrants, childhood and racism and will came to its conclusion with a presentation and discussion of the production at Canolfan Arad Goch.

“Nice to come here in a creative capacity and thankful for the opportunity – it’s very rare to be given a chance like this where you can just explore and play and create something. We’re very grateful for the trust Arad Goch has given us.”

Phone 01970617998 or email carwyn@aradgoch.org for more information.

03/05/2017

This article first appeared here

International Collaboration, TYA

Urgent Call to African Artists

3 Apr 2013 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

Urgent to ALL!

Please tell us, as African artists (and especially French-speaking artists) why do you make work for young audiences and what is most important in your work? Please offer us a short paragraph-lengt h answers. These are for a composite article in the ASSITEJ international magazine for 2013 which will be available in Linz. It will be in French and English so you can send responses in either language. Include some high quality photos of your production(s).

Email your response to Marisa Gimenez Cacho at marisagcacho@yahoo.com.mx

Please share this with as many friends and families of artists who do a lot of work with children. Thank you!

Travelling, TYA

FATEJ: Biennial festival 2013

Image 30 Mar 2013 Eliot Moleba Leave a comment

Eliot Moleba

This is a picture of Donald Mvolo and myself on my visit to Cameroon’s FATEJ, which is a Biennial theatre festival for children and young people. Mr. Mvolo is a local theatre director and writer. I had such a great time watching performances mostly in French. I never really knew what most of them were about, but it was great just to enjoy the theatrical and physical dynamics of the shows. I was particularly impressed with Donald’s show which managed to transcend linguistic barriers that plunged the atmosphere – I understood his show. Of course, this was helped by two very talented actors. They were very expressive and retained a clarity of gestures.

It was a marvel to watch them!