The Inclusive Arts Festival will be staged at The Drama Factory and The Playhouse Theatre – it celebrates accessible theatre for all. Storywood Inclusive Arts hosts the showcase at the two venues from 13 until 20 March, 2024.
The event includes a number of theatre productions and arts workshops that are also accessible for audiences with complex needs, as well as their carers. The aim of the festival is to cater for such audiences, and to enable them to engage in arts experiences from which they are often excluded.
Additionally, the festival aims to provide a platform for information- and skill sharing amongst parents, carers and other theatre practitioners. “We wish to create a safe space for audiences with complex needs who often feel unwelcome or overwhelmed at the usual arts events,” says Margot Wood, Festival Director.
“We are proud to be collaborating with Storywood Inclusive Arts and The Playhouse Theatre to bring all audiences this exciting festival,” says Sue Diepeveen, founder of The Drama Factory. “Theatre is a wide-ranging sensory experience that is not always accessible for all. We are delighted to be presenting these shows which all audiences can enjoy.”
Line-up for The Drama Factory
Boxed
13 March 11am, 14 March, 2pm
A production for young audiences with hearing challenges.
This production is non-verbal.
See what happens in the world of the parcel delivery service!
Trophy Wife
13 and 14 March, 6pm
Suitable for teen to adult.
Sue Diepeveen`s delightful production about Marie and her quest for love. Now with subtitles /signing for audiences with hearing challenges.
Sailaway
14 March, 11am, 15 March 9am, Fri 15th March, 11am
Join the sailors on their journey as they search for the golden pearl.
An immersive production for audiences with ASD, audiences with PMLD and audiences with general sensory challenges. The production provides a safe space to a small group of participants.
This production has three versions: A non-narrative unscripted version which consists of sensory explorations and suitable for largely non-verbal audiences; a narrative scripted version for verbal audiences, and an Early Years version for very young pre-verbal audiences.
Therapy
15 March, 6pm
Xola Honono`s moving play about his journey of acceptance of his daughter`s disability.
Musicals – in the Dark
16 March, 4pm
Suitable for all ages.
Neil Rademan (baritone), Janel Speelman (soprano) and Veronica Bell (violin) accompanied by two pianos will entertain both sighted and non-sighted audiences with a programme of beloved songs from the musical theatre repertoire, including Les Miserables, Chess, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music and West Side Story. This production will be performed in the dark as a sign of respect to the blind. Music and spoken word serve as as a bridge to make theatre alive to the visually impaired.
The Nose
17 March, 3pm
A relaxed performance of a fun-filled short musical for the whole family. Based on a short story by Gogol with composition and script by Kit Goldstein Grant.
Workshops at the festival
- A three-hour Makaton signing workshop for parents and carers of non-verbal persons. Learn the basics of Makaton signing as a means of communication. This workshop is conducted by the Makaton Society of SA
- Dance for Parkinsons– a 60 minute demonstration class for persons with Parkinsons or other mobility challenges. Join on your own or with your carer/partner for a fun-filled dance class. Suitable for persons with, or without, walking devices or in wheelchairs. Conducted by the Dance for PD Society of South Africa
- A three-day Sensory Theatre-making workshop for theatre-makers interested in creating works for neurodiverse audiences. Conducted by Margot Wood, director, theatre-maker and academic researcher of Storywood Inclusive Arts.
- A Relaxed Theatre workshop with Rachel VanderMarks, Canadian Relaxed Performance & Accessibility Consultant and advisor to art bodies in Canada such as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian Opera Theatre Company. This workshop is for theatre-makers, directors, venue managers and arts practitioners who wish to make their work more accessible to all audiences.
- A Youth Awareness Forum Theatre workshop. This workshop is for teenagers and young adults to create awareness of neurodiversity and complex needs amongst their peers and will equip them with strategies towards greater understanding and inclusion. Part of the workshop will be led by members of the Unmute Disability Dance company
- Caring for the Carers. An afternoon devoted to the care-givers. This programme is aimed at teachers, parents and carers, and includes a performance of Xola Honono`s Therapy which describes his personal journey of coming to terms with his own daughter`s disability; a discussion-session with Chanel Baumgarten of the Els Foundation for Autism, Dr Kobie Meiring of the Dept of Education (Visual Art) CPUT, and a therapeutic drumming session.
- Daily sessions in Sound Therapy: The use of body, voice and breath to bring young participants into balance, reconnecting to self and regulating the nervous system.
And a special session by Music Box for younger pre-school participants.
Inclusive Arts Festival tickets can be booked at Quicket
Spend the night at The Views Guesthouse, 185 on Beach or Majorca House to enjoy the beauty and many other activities on offer in the surrounding Helderberg region. Visit the website for further details.
What: Inclusive Arts Festival at The Drama Factory and The Playhouse Theatre
Where: Drama Factory, 10 Comprop Sq, Henry Vos Close, Asla Business Park, Strand, Cape
WS
