By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Twenty-one drama groups performed at Joburg Theatre, with Adelaide Tambo the only special school taking part in the festival.
- The learners gained confidence and showed their talent, with some playing major roles like Juliet in Romeo and Juliet before.
Learners with disabilities from Adelaide Tambo Special School in Soweto performed at the 15th annual Shakespeare Schools Festival South Africa at Joburg Theatre.
Twenty-one drama groups performed shortened versions of Shakespeare’s plays. Adelaide Tambo is the only special school that takes part in the Johannesburg part of the festival.
Their play is directed by Seiphemo Motswiri. He also runs a programme at the school called ArtAbility. He believes in creating a platform for special needs learners to express themselves through the arts.
Motswiri said what makes the Adelaide Tambo play stand out is that it was performed by a 100% cast of learners with disabilities.
“These learners are hungry to perform because they have often been made to believe that they cannot be part of the performance industry because of their disability,” he said.
Adelaide Tambo is not a private school like many of the others in the festival. They had to be more creative with limited resources to create a strong production.
For the learners, being part of the festival gave them confidence and a chance to show their talent.
Elethu Zikizela, one of the performers, said she was grateful to be part of the show. “It has made me aware of my talent and given me the confidence to face people,” she said.
Twenty-year-old Buntu Ngqakavu has been part of the festival for four years. She has played big roles, including Juliet in Romeo and Juliet in 2022.
This year she played Countess Olivia. “Being part of this festival encourages other kids living with disabilities to have confidence and believe they can be in any space they want,” said Ngqakavu.
Pictured above: Learners from Adelaide Tambo Special School performing Shakespeare.
Image source: Selloane Ntshonyane
