Future drama stars shine at Cape Winelands Drama Festival Finale

On 17 February 2018, Cape Winelands creative stars performed at the Cape Winelands Drama at the Paarl Town Hall in Paarl. The festival was hosted by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) in collaboration with the Drakenstein Municipality, as well as the Cape Winelands District Municipality, the Baxter Theatre and the Zabalaza Festival.

Finalists from Wellington, Paarl, Mbewkeni, Zwelethemba, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch showcased their drama talents.

Nine drama groups - including poets - partook in the final leg of adjudication. The groups “Mbekweni Nkwenkwezi” from Mbekweni, “Our Hope Drama” from Zwelethemba and the overall winner “Revelations” from Franschhoek – were chosen to take part in the grand finale in April 2018.

Adjudicators included well known actor and comedian Brendan Murray, Zoleka Helesi and Mdu Kweyama from the Baxter’s Zabalaza Festival.

Councillor Christephine Kearns and DCAS Deputy Director for Arts Development, Liezl Jansen opened the event. They encouraged young performers to keep developing themselves and use these opportunities to elevate their skills and talents. Ms Jansen also praised the youth for not giving in to social ills and for using their time constructively.

DCAS Cultural Officer, Moeniel Jacobs thanked all the partners involved for constantly providing support to the youth of Drakenstein  and the Cape Winelands. “It is an honour to see how the youth has developed in such a short space of time. This falls in line with developing not only the rural emerging talents, but the development of new works and new stories from our rural areas,” he said.

Councilor Laurichia van Niekerk from Sport, Recreation Arts and Culture concluded the events and presented the following awards:

• Best Ensemble: Mbekweni Nkwenkwezi
• Best Director: Sivuyule Sijaji
• Best Writer: Ghaireyah Fredericks and Kurt Vlok
• Best Supporting Actor: Vuyolwethu Tanga
• Best Supporting Actress: Zizipho Sogwagwa
• Best Actor: Richard Njobe
• Best Actress: Aine De Vries
• Best Production Runner up: Mbekweni Nkwenkwezi
• Best Production Winner: Revelations

Winners will get the opportunity to showcase their talents at festivals such as the Zabalaza Festival as well as at the Best of DCAS festival at the KKNK.

DCAS and its partners aim to develop the arts through festivals and to expose the young talent of the Western Cape to different opportunities, BETTER TOGETHER.