Towards 50 Years of Memorable Storytelling
By Greg Homann
As we approach The Market Theatre Foundation’s 50th year in 2026, we continue to strengthen our legacy as a crucible for South African storytelling, presenting a dynamic and diverse array of productions, festivals, exhibitions, artistic collaborations, and development and training initiatives that shape the national cultural landscape and beyond. Our 2025 programme builds upon this rich tradition, fostering bold new voices while making visible powerful narratives that resonate with contemporary audiences.
The Market Photo Workshop continues its engagement with visual storytelling through exhibitions like Afrikan Stories for Social Change and Impilo Iyaqhubeka, alongside the Women in Photography showcase at the National Arts Festival. Training programmes such as the Oxfam Participatory Project and the National Legacy Photography Project mentor emerging photographers, ensuring a vibrant future for visual storytelling in South Africa.
Our investment in emerging artists continues through The Market Theatre Laboratory, which nurtures the next generation of theatre-makers. The students’ presentation of Afropocalypse at the National Arts Festival and the ongoing Saturday Showcases create a space for artistic experimentation and risk-taking.
The Windybrow Arts Centre’s targeted engagement with young people in and around inner-city Johannesburg continues to create much-needed access to the arts. With impactful initiatives such as the Spelling Bee and meaningful collaborations with local and global partnerships, WAC’s commitment to shaping the future of South Africa will continue in the current artistic year.
From large-scale productions to intimate storytelling and community-driven initiatives, The Market Theatre remains a beacon of innovation, resilience, and artistic excellence in South African theatre. Our ongoing commitment to developing new talent is evidenced in the Play Development Programme, a multi-pronged platform dedicated to nurturing playwrights through a structured development process culminating in feedback, access to Kippies Fringe or public rehearsed readings. This initiative mirrors the spirit of mentorship and growth seen in the longstanding Zwakala Community Festival, which has propelled productions such as Fatherhood into extended engagements, deepening their impact on audiences.
In 2025, our Play Development Programme will expand its reach, inviting 12 playwrights with strong new ideas to join the next cycle of Associate Playwrights. This initiative supports entry to mid-career playwrights in developing their scripts within a collaborative environment, with mentorship. Additionally, the programme is calling for unproduced full-length plays from writers across South Africa, with up to 40 selected for Reader’s Reports and some advancing to further development or production.
This year The Market Theatre is partnering with Art Cave who will curate our Kippies Fringe Programme, offering 12 curated slots from June to December. Spoken word artists, comedians, musicians, poets, and fringe theatre performers will receive technical and marketing support to showcase their work. Furthermore, we are expanding our network of designers across set, lighting, sound, costume, and AV, inviting Expressions of Interest for future collaborations. Selected designers will meet with the Producing Department in June 2025 to explore opportunities to broaden the network of designers who work with us.
