Paya on being Maitisong director
Dumisani Ncube | Friday July 7, 2017 15:12
The 32-year-old Paya was recently installed as the Maitisong director after Gao Lemmenyane resigned. Paya comes in with performance arts industry background where he has been trading as a performer, performance specialist and performance lecturer.
“Maitisong handles a lot. It’s a hot seat. I have seen the challenges before I became director. It is (responsible for) one of the biggest festivals in Africa. I am willing to face the hot seat, and I am actually excited,” Paya said.
With a few weeks in office he noted that he is working on the foundation and fixing a few things before he implements his game plan.
As an individual who is passionate about the arts and performance, he noted that his focus will be on the growth aspect of Maitisong, talent and the Botswana arts industry at large.
“I have a vision and I have to be more realistic on what I will work on. The biggest goal at the moment is to fill the space, have more activities taking place. I want to create work, which is beyond challenging, which brings out artists’ integrity and quality through the festival,” Paya said.
He spoke animatedly on how he will work on maintaining and honouring the brand and history of Maitisong as he is well equipped with the culture and knowledge since he is a Maru-A-Pula School alumni.
Talking of growth of the festival and Maitisong as a whole, Paya noted that part of his plan is to engage more with the community, not only in Gaborone but also around the country, as long as resources permit him.
“I am not saying I will change what I found. I know what is expected of me, and I will deliver because at the end of the day, I have to do my job. I want to make an impact; I want people to feel the power of the arts.”
He noted that at the end of the day his work will speak louder than words. Paya said most of the developments within his vision will come with time as he will implement them one stage at a time.
As director he noted that he will be transparent with what he does and he is aware of the politics that have previously happened, as certain individuals would protest about the director and his team.
“Everywhere there is politics and it will always be there. This is a public position and I will be transparent with my work,” he said.
With his presence, he noted that there will be more of theatre performances and productions at Maitisong Theatre.
Apart from Maitisong, he noted that he will take this opportunity to help growth in the arts industry as he is passionate about developing talent and cultivating creativity.
With his rich experience in the arts industry, Paya is expected to elevate Maitisong, which had declined in terms of quality over the past years, which was, however blamed on lack of finances.
He has connections and knowledge of how the performance arts business is handled as he has previously worked in South Africa.
As an artist he has worked on a number of productions such as such as Morwa, The Rising Son. He worked as a performance educator at Maru-A-Pula School and AFDA before leaving for his current job.