Vhembe’s voices heard during National Community Arts Indaba

The voices of Vhembe’s arts practitioners were loud and clear during the National Community Arts Indaba, held over three days last week at the historic Market Theatre in Johannesburg. The event marked a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to strengthen and sustain community arts centres across South Africa.

Nndoweni Malala, a local community arts practitioner and executive committee member of the Limpopo Community Arts Centre Network, actively contributed to the discussions. “We were happy to be afforded the opportunity to represent people from Vhembe during this important occasion. We made sure we used the opportunity profitably to lobby for support and resources so that our people are empowered accordingly and our community arts centres can sustain themselves,” Malala told the Limpopo Mirror.

Malala said the Indaba, organised by the Alex Theatre Company and Academy, marked a critical milestone in the national review and renewal of South Africa’s Community Arts Development Programme (CADP). It brought together community arts practitioners, policymakers, researchers, government departments, and sector partners from all nine provinces.

The weight and credibility of the Indaba were further strengthened by the presence of key national stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Dr Cynthia Khumalo, alongside representatives from the National Arts Council, the National Youth Development Agency, the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSETA), and major cultural institutions such as the Market Theatre, the State Theatre, and the Windybrow Centre.

Date:29 January 2026

By:

Read: 344