John Kani Performing Arts Academy opens to nurture South Africa's creative talent
Globally celebrated icons, Dr John Kani has officially launched a performing arts academy in his name.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The John Kani Performing Arts Academy has officially opened, marking a groundbreaking effort to cultivate South Africa's future storytellers, actors, directors, and scriptwriters.
Led by the legendary Dr John Kani, alongside industry icons Jerry Mofokeng and Prof Zakes Mda, the academy represents a major investment in South Africa’s creative and cultural economy.
Based at the historic 44 Main in Johannesburg, this new institution will serve as a creative hub for artistic excellence, mentorship and community revitalisation.
At the launch of the recently established academy, Dr Kani shared more about what the academy will be offering in different areas of the performing arts.
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“The truth comes out that when we sign those contracts, which is part of the classes we have at the academy, copyright, intellectual property, AI, and knowing how to look after your work and your intellect. Those things are part of the academy,” explained Dr Kani.
Dr Kani explained that the performing academy’s duty is to empower, and help upgrade the skills that practising practitioners have.
The academy is not a normal school and will not be conducting lessons Monday to Friday but rather will have masterclasses that will span over days or weeks.
Globally celebrated icons, Dr John Kani and Professor Zakes Mda, will present Masterclasses in acting and writing, respectively, at the John Kani Performing Arts Academy.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The first two master classes to be held will be writing by Professor Zakes Mda and acting by Dr John Kani, then it will be followed by choreography by Gregory Maqoma and set and costume design by Sarah Roberts.
Hopefuls hoping to attend masterclasses at the Dr John Kani Performing Arts Academy will be able to find out about the various offerings on the website and then apply if they meet the requirements and will have to pay an admission fee.
“These dudes are very experienced and they're not very cheap. We've got to bring them to come and share the experience.”
Dr Kani also shared that the academy has hopes to bring masterclasses hosted by international names such as Idris Elba, Ryan Coogler and Spike Lee. “We already have enquiries from some of the people I've worked with abroad. What can we do? How can we come in?
“These are the names that we interact with, that would be able to say, I'll do it Doc and we're also looking at the people visiting South Africa.
“When you hear that there's an actor that was just now in town. Forest Whitaker was in Cape Town, that would have been an incredible opportunity for us to fly down to Cape Town, go to the Baxter Theatre or the Artscape and arrange a two-day masterclass. So he interacts with actors and people in the film industry.
The work at the John Kani Performing Arts Academy has already begun, a three day KZN Masterclass Programme in acting, writing and directing, presented by Dr Kani and Professor Mda respectively.
Durban’s own multi-award-winning theatre-maker, Steven Stead, joined the duo to present a masterclass for directors.
Professor Mda further added he was highly impressed by the quality of the artists, actors, directors and writers they worked with at the masterclass.
“I worked specifically with writers, many of whom were writers who already have had plays performed at the State Theatre, at the theatre in Port Elizabeth and so on. But when they heard that, oh, there’s going to be master classes by this specific writer, they said, oh, we must attend because we want to learn about his approach.
“We know our approach as writers, we have had other approaches, but we specifically want to learn his approach to writing.That's what a master class is all about.”
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