The Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA), Theatre Arts Admin Collective and the Baxter Theatre Centre are calling for applications.

The 2012 Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary offers an emerging theatre director a mentor, a small budget, a month’s rehearsal space and a week of performance at the Theatre Arts Admin Collective. It is recommended that directors work with already existing scripts as the month-long period has proved insufficient for devised work.

Previous winners of this bursary include Amy Jephta, Tara Louise Notcutt, Asanda Phewa, Leopold Senekal, Pusetso Thibedi, Kim Kerfoot and Tsepo wa-Mamatu.

“The Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary is the only opportunity of its kind in South Africa, and for a young/emerging director that makes it exceptionally valuable,” said Kim Kerfoot, one of the 2011 winners. “It is a wonderful environment in which to find yourself, full of people that want you and your work to succeed, and are willing to do everything within their power to make that happen,” he added.

“For me this was a way in, a chance to let the South African theatre industry know that, even though you may not know who we are, we are out there working, creating magical stories for the people that are willing to lend their ears and eyes, even if it is just for a single moment of escape,” said Pusetso Thibedi, another 2011 winner.


The 2012 bursaries will run over two periods:

Bursary 1 11th April to 19th May

Bursary 2 20th June – 27th July

The Bursary is specifically designed for emerging theatre directors who have had some experience in directing and whose passion is to have a career as a theatre director.

The Emerging Theatre Director’s Bursary is part of the GIPCA Directors and Directing programme and requires both awardees to participate in the 3-day colloquium that takes place towards the end of July.

GIPCA is running a host of colloquiums throughout 2012 that cover a range of themes: race, identity, representation, culture, dance and climate-change. If your proposal fits into one of these themes, please indicate. It must be noted that this will not give your proposal preference.

If you are an emerging director and would like to grab this opportunity please submit: a 1-page creative proposal; your CV including 2 references with contact details and indication of your preferred date to artsadmin@mweb.co.za by Friday 17 February 2012. The Bursary will be announced on Friday 2 March 2012.


About the Theatre Arts Admin Collective: The aim of the Theatre Arts Admin Collective (in partnership with the Gordon Institute for the Performing and Creative Arts and the Baxter Theatre Centre) is to provide opportunity and affordable access to resources and training for theatre practitioners and arts administrators by:

- Providing affordable and accessible space to both create and perform new work.

- Supporting directors and playwrights in the development of skills and the creation of new South African work.

- Contributing to the development of a stronger and more skilled theatre community through dialogue, mentorship and programmes of activity.

- Facilitating the hand-over of experience, skill and knowledge from the older generation of theatre makers to the young and merging generation of theatre makers.


About GIPCA: The University of Cape Town’s Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA) facilitates new collaborative and interdisciplinary creative research projects in the disciplines of Music, Dance, Fine Art, Drama, Creative Writing, Film and Media Studies. Interdisciplinarity is a key theme of the institute and projects are imbued with innovation, collaboration and dialogue with urbanism and community. GIPCA was launched in December 2008 with a substantial grant from Sir Donald Gordon, founder of Liberty Life. An Advisory Board comprising Heads of Departments of all Performing and Creative Arts Departments at UCT helps to shape contexts for the instigation and development of projects by students and staff, as well as a wide range of institutions and individuals outside the university. For more information on the 2011 GIPCA programme, visit www.gipca.uct.ac.za, or phone 021 480 7156.

GIPCA Director: Associate Professor Jay Pather

GIPCA Project Manager: Adrienne van Eeden-Wharton

Chair of the GIPCA Board: Professor Paula Ensor


About the Baxter Theatre Centre: The Baxter Theatre Centre provides an exciting forum for the celebration of life which is the essence of live theatre, music and dance. It is one of the major live theatre venues in Cape Town and has always been at the forefront of the performing arts both as a popular venue and as a leading producer. See www.baxter.co.za for current and future productions and initiatives.