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Baxter Theatre Centre
The award-winning theatre, film and television actor, Faniswa Yisa, has been appointed as the curator of the The Baxter’s Masambe theatre, from 1 March 2023.
Regarded as one of South Africa’s respected artists, Yisa has had a long relationship with The Baxter as actor, director, producer and mentor.
In 2015, she received the Baxter CEO artist of year award and has performed in several productions at the theatre over the years.
“The Baxter has been like a second home to me. I feel welcome here, so I’m super excited and nervous, of course, in this new role and joining this creative family,” says the UCT Drama School graduate. “I am looking forward to learning, experimenting and sharing ideas to find innovative ways, of storytelling and having conversations with creatives, through their work.”
At The Baxter over the years she has performed in an impressive list of productions, which received great acclaim and accolades. These include: most recently, Magnet Theatre’s Oedipus at Colonus #aftersophocles; Lara Foot’s Life & Times of Michael K; Magnet Theatre’s multi-award-winning, Every Year, Every Day, I am Walking, Voices Made Night and Fire Raisers; Reza de Wet’s Missing; Barney Simon’s Born in the RSA; Mandla Bothwe’s Inxeba Lomphilise; Brett Bailey’s MedEia and Janice Honeyman’s Madiba Magic.
She is coproducer of Nwabisa Plaatjie’s When We Awake, currently on in the Golden Arrow Studio, till this Saturday.
Faniswa won the Fleur du Cap Best Actress award for Nadia David’s What Remains. She was also joint Best Actress winner for her performance in Magnet Theatre’s Every Year, Every Day, I am Walking at the Aardkloop Festival. Her screen work includes Skin, Knuckle City and Dam.
She was part of The Mothertongue Project, where she co-created and performed in productions such as Beading my Soul, Uhambo and The Space of Dreams and, in 2003, she did a residency in India.
Other productions include The Suitcase, Ityala lamawele, 19born 76rebels, Cargo, and Richard III.
Faniswa toured internationally to France with Cargo, Europe with MedEia and 19 countries with Every Year, Every Day, I am Walking (nominated for best foreign production in Argentina and Pick of the Fest at the National Arts Festival).
“I am excited and invigorated to create a vibrant cultural hub for artists in all genres”, she explains, It’s an affordable and accessible space for them to experiment, play, share concepts and ideas and to collaborate. Whether through creative workshops, encouraging discussions and debates or, simply as a rehearsal space, we would like to invite artists to engage with me and let’s make it magic happen.”