Two Batswana women to attend PTW conference
Staff Writer | Thursday October 2, 2014 09:00
This is the eighth edition of the conference and this year’s theme is, How Shall We Become? PTW is an interdisciplinary and practical-critical forum that interrogates the role that performance can play in changing the world.
Disele is scheduled to present Keneilwe: Displaced By Our Search For Identity? The presentation will feature an excerpt from the dance production, Keneilwe: A Dance For The Given, choreographed by artistic director of Sky Blue Dance Hub and co-presenter Baatshwana.
The performance explores unique Botswana stories on issues of displacement. The dance production was performed at the Maitisong Festival this year in Harare, Zimbabwe and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Keneilwe: Displaced By Our Search For Identity argues that we are becoming displaced by our search for an authentic identity, using Keneilwe: A Dance For The Given as a case study.
Disele and Baatshwana are both professionals working in Botswana’s performing arts industry with a wealth of performance experience.
Disele is a lecturer in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Botswana as well as an avid performer. She is currently a dancer at Sky Blue Dance Hub and an actor on the radio drama, Madi Majwana: Stories From Your Pocket.
Disele is interested in work that explores issues of marginalisation, discrimination, prejudice and oppression, especially in relation to gender. Her last PTW presentation was titled, Working with Mophato: Interrogating and Shifting Representations of Black Women in Botswana, which explored ways in which performance can be used to bring about change and empowered thinking.
Baatshwana is a dancer and choreographer. She is the 2013 Bessie Head Literature Award second runner-up in the Short Story category. She is interested in producing contemporary dance and written works that explore unique human stories, delving into the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the individual. She is also the scriptwriter of the radio drama, Madi Majwana: Stories From Your Pocket.
“The performing arts industry in Botswana is still young and developing. Presenting at PTW creates an opportunity for young artists to showcase their work while telling Botswana stories. Further, we believe it is beneficial to the growth of our industry to keep abreast of innovations in performance – academically and practically while showcasing Botswana’s potential and contribution to the sector,” Disele said.
Disele and Baatshwana are scheduled to depart for the US on October 8, 2014 and continue to request for funding from stakeholders in the country. So far, they have managed to raise half the funds required.