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Honouring the Legacy, Shaping the Future
As we commemorate 70 years of the Women’s March, ASSITEJ South Africa honours the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March and celebrates the women who continue to shape South Africa’s arts, culture, and creative sectors.
The arts remain a powerful platform for storytelling, education, advocacy, and social change. Through theatre and performance for children and young people, we preserve important histories while inspiring future generations to imagine new possibilities.
Remembering the Women of 1956
On 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in protest against pass laws. Their courage, unity, and determination became a defining moment in South Africa’s struggle for justice and equality.
Their enduring message, “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” (“You strike a woman, you strike a rock”), continues to inspire women leaders, educators, activists, and artists.
As practitioners in Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA), we recognise our responsibility to keep these stories alive and to empower girls to become significant contributors to our democractic project.
On Women’s Day this year, our director, Yvette Hardie, was at the SAC-IAWJ conference on Gender-based violence, to share the work done by the Nompilo project to empower young girls to understand consent, and to make the Judicial system clearer to all those children and young people who may need to access it.
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Women Building Resilient Communities Through the Arts
This year’s Women’s Month theme, “Building Resilient Economies for All,” reminds us that when women are empowered, communities thrive.
Across South Africa, women are:
- Leading arts organisations and cultural institutions.
- Directing, producing, and performing impactful theatre.
- Mentoring emerging artists and young creatives.
- Preserving indigenous stories and languages.
- Creating employment opportunities in the creative economy.
- Promoting inclusion, social cohesion, and children’s rights.
Many of these women are employed through our Social Employment Fund, which operates across all 9 provinces. They do stellar work in communities around the country and we celebrate their efforts to create meaningful theatre and arts experiences for children and young people. Their work nurtures creativity, preserves cultural heritage, and strengthens communities.
Empowered women empower the nation. Every performance, classroom visit, workshop, and story shared plants seeds of confidence, hope, and imagination in young lives.
The Arts in a Changing South Africa
South Africa continues to navigate complex economic and social challenges. As national conversations focus on economic recovery, youth development, public funding, and social cohesion, the arts sector remains an essential contributor to nation-building.
These realities reinforce the need for continued advocacy for:
- Sustainable support for arts and culture programmes.
- Investment in creative education.
- Employment opportunities for artists.
- Protection of cultural rights and artistic freedom.
The stories we tell through theatre help foster dialogue, empathy, and active citizenship among young audiences. We are proud to be hosting works at the Cradle of Creativity festival which have been written, produced and directed by women from South Africa and further afield.
Chairperson’s Spotlight
Celebrating the Leadership of Lalu Mokuku
This month, we proudly recognise the leadership of our Board Chairperson, Lalu Mokuku, whose dedication continues to strengthen ASSITEJ South Africa’s mission and vision.
A theatre practitioner, storyteller, playwright, performer, educator, and researcher, Lalu serves as a lecturer in Applied Drama and Theatre at Rhodes University. Her work focuses on theatre for social transformation, multilingualism, community arts practices, and theatre for young audiences.
She has collaborated with organisations including UNICEF and Save the Children UK and is widely recognised for using the arts to promote social justice and strengthen botho (humanity).
Her published and collaborative works include Dipalo, Qanqana Senqa, Serurubele, and Nompilo, while she also serves as Artistic Director of the MEQOQO Playback Theatre Collective.
Through her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to young audiences, Lalu continues to make a significant contribution to South African theatre and cultural development.
We thank her for her continued service to ASSITEJ South Africa and the ASSITEJ International community.
Upcoming Events
Arts-Rich Schools Initiative Launch
On 31 August 2026, the DBE, in partnership with ASSITEJ South Africa, will launch the Arts-Rich Schools Initiative, a major step towards strengthening arts education and creativity in schools in five provinces around the country.
Cradle of Creativity Festival
Join us for the Cradle of Creativity Festival from 31 August to 6 September 2026.
Inspired by the words of celebrated storyteller Dr Gcina Mhlophe:
“I tell stories in order to wake up stories in other people, because I truly believe that every living being has got a story to tell.”
The festival reflects our commitment to ensuring that every child has access to stories, creativity, and artistic expression.
We encourage you not only to attend but also to consider sponsoring a young person or school child, enabling more children to experience this exciting celebration of creativity, culture, and learning.
Stay Connected
Together, we champion excellence in theatre and performing arts for children and young people, ensuring that every child has access to stories that inspire, educate, and empower.
“Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo.”
As we celebrate Women’s Month, we recommit ourselves to building a creative future where every young voice is valued, nurtured, and heard.
– Mamokgatla Lorraine Rakubu, ASSITEJ South Africa, Board member
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