Masiphumelele Ontogeny at Theatre Arts

Masiphumelele Ontogeny Celebrates 20 Years of Community, Memory, and Art

We are proud to present Masiphumelele Ontogeny, a powerful new stage production that blends physical theatre, poetry, photography, and live storytelling to trace two decades of growth, resilience, and transformation within the Masiphumelele community.

Directed by Luxolo Rapula Mboso and co-written with Abueng Junior, the production draws inspiration from the Ukukhanya Arts Project and the striking documentary photography of scientist-artist Professor Clive Gray.

Audiences will witness the lives of young people captured in photographs every few years since 2004 -revealing the beauty and complexity of growing up in a township shaped by both hardship and hope.

Featuring a dynamic cast and a special jazz performance by the Babalwa Mentjies Quintet, Masiphumelele Ontogeny invites viewers to reflect on the forces—seen and unseen—that shape identity, belonging, and collective memory.

Performances:
5 September @ 19:00
6 September @ 15:00 & 19:00
Theatre Arts, Methodist Church Hall, Observatory, Cape Town
R100 | R50 Students

Bookings: Masiphumelele Ontogeny at Theatre Art