POPArt Theatre Will Move Locations

After 9 years of championing independent theatre from a small space underneath a parking lot in the Main Street Life building, POPArt is taking a leap of faith and moving on from its inaugural space at the end of March 2020.

While there are currently no confirmed locations for the company to build a new theatre, the managing team behind POPArt - Hayleigh Evans and Orly Shapiro - have taken the decision to close the current venue while strategising a new era for the independent theatre. "We want to offer audiences and performers an experience that is more in line with the growth of our vision, and so we are looking for a new space to suit our changing needs. There is a delicate balance to be struck between creating a space where performers can access an audience for new works and where diverse audiences can access and engage with fresh stories - we are looking to expand this notion with our new venture", says artistic director Hayleigh Evans.

Co-director Orly Shapiro adds, "This is not a forced decision. After a difficult year of business (for a number of reasons), we are taking a moment to assess how we can better thrive in an economy where we are not easily accessing corporate or governmental support for the arts or artists - and see how we can better resolve such issues. We feel that taking an operational break from managing a space will give us the focus we need to plan for the sustainability of our business. The space is closing temporarily, but the business remains open with several other projects".

These projects include but are not limited to producing and touring productions, corporate interventions, pop up theatre and networking events, professional performing arts workshops as well as continuing successful partnerships with The Market Theatre Laboratory and the Centre for the Less Good Idea (also based in The Maboneng Precinct). To date, the theatre has received no public funding over the past 9 years to support the operations of the space, and has subsidised the operating costs of the theatre through such alternative business ventures.

The independent space has been home to over 450 productions in the past decade and has made an undeniable impact on the live performance and entertainment industry by being the launch pad of many successful artists and careers - as well as providing a home for performances that may not otherwise have found a place in the existing landscape. "We are certain that there will be a demand and support for POPArt to re-open and, while we will focus on additional business objectives, a key focus over the next few months will be how to strategise, partner and fundraise toward a new permanent space for the theatre. We are already engaged in some interesting discussions", says Evans. "With maturity, knowledge and experience gained over almost 10 years of running a theatre, as well as the trust of an expanded network, we are certain that we will come back stronger in the next incarnation of the POPArt Theatre", Shapiro adds.

The company remains optimistic about the opportunity for disruption and reflection that this change brings. Though the added pressure of a worldwide pandemic was not in any way a factor to the decision making process, the partners agree that the pandemic is forcing the entire live arts industry into a space of contemplation - one that can only ultimately force a reflection on- and therefore reconnection to- the audience.

With that said, the company had planned a final week of Storytelling in the space to invite audiences and performers alike into the room to share their POPArt stories and to say a 'goodbye' to the original POPArt Theatre. "We are in the process of figuring out how this might be possible - trying to strike a balance between doing our bit to importantly flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19 and, at the same time, give some closure and gratitude to this chapter which has meant so much to us and our community at large", says Evans. A plan for the final week's programming will be announced via our mailing list and social media channels over the coming days.

Followers and fans of the space are encouraged to stay in touch on the theatres online channels for news of the company's new business ventures and fundraising efforts. A donation tab is already set up on the website (www.popartcentre.co.za) for anyone in a position to support the journey toward POPArt's new future.

The most important acknowledgement for now remains one of absolute gratitude for the support that POPArt has received from performers and audiences over the past 9 years- and Hayleigh, Orly and the team at POPArt look forward to celebrating and honouring that in this time of separate togetherness - and further in the future too.