Documenting the Windybrow Arts Centre Now is a film exploring the history of this Johannesburg arts centre and its current work in facilitating ‘acts of assembly’.
The Windybrow, an 1890s heritage house in Johannesburg’s inner-city Hillbrow, has been operating as an arts centre on and off since the 1980s. Recently renovated under the stewardship of the Market Theatre Foundation and with a mandate to develop as a ‘pan-African’ space, the building is in a new phase of its history of facilitating ‘acts of assembly’.
This film gives a sense of the building’s history and current mobilisation as an arts centre facilitating ‘acts of assembly’ and an overview of the building’s history through a collage of responses from artists, centre staff and young participants about their experiences of the Windybrow Arts Centre. The film points to the complexities of the building’s heritage status as a colonial white mining capital and its socially positive potential as a performance space in inner-city Johannesburg.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Alex Halligey is a Research Fellow at the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Johannesburg.
Tamara Guhrs is an independent researcher, writer, theatre maker and editor.
COUNTRY: South Africa
CREATIVE TEAM:
Concept and Archiving: Tamara Guhrs and Alex Halligey
With thanks to Gerard Bester for advice and facilitating interview access.
Video/Stills: Tamara Guhrs
Audio: Alex Halligey
Introductory Text: Alex Halligey
Narrator: Nonhlanhla Sadiki and Mncedisi Hadebe of Kwasha! Resident Theatre Company at the Windybrow Arts Centre
With thanks for interviews (in order of appearance):
Gerard Bester, Head of the Windybrow Arts Centre
Moyagabo Felicia Senyolo, Librarian for the Market Theatre Foundation and Facilitator for Mould Empower Serve (MES) After-School Literacy Programme
Windybrow African Stars Primary School Drama Group
Mthobeni Ndidi, Groundsperson, Windybrow Arts Centre
Kwasha! Members:
Nonhlanhla Sadiki, Mncedisi Hadebe
MES Primary School Reading Group
Johannesburg Awakening Minds Performance Ensemble:
Tyson Ngobese, Andile Nhlabathi, Louis T. Kalombo, Lwazi Mayeki, Siphesihle Nobatana, Gift Bhengu
Studio Director, Flame Studios: Lance McCormack
Drummer and Facilitator for Windybrow African Stars Primary School Drama Group: Daron Ngwenya
Happy Hour High School Drama Group
PARTNERS:
Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study, University of Johannesburg
Windybrow Arts Centre, Market Theatre Foundation
WEBSITE: [ Ссылка ]
This project was a part of the Performance Space Exhibition at the 15th Prague Quadrennial 2023.
