ASSITEJ SA FAMILY & YOUTH FARE @NAF

13 Jun 2025

Family & Youth Fare Programme Returns to the National Arts Festival

ASSITEJ SA brings powerful, playful, and purposeful Stories to Makhanda
26 June – 6 July 2025

Makhanda, South Africa — The magic of live performance for young audiences returns in full force as ASSITEJ South Africa presents the Family & Youth Fare Programme at the 2025 National Arts Festival (NAF). Running from 26 June to 6 July 2025, this vibrant programme features over 20 diverse productions specially curated for children, youth, and families — a rich tapestry of imagination, insight, laughter, and learning.

With Glennie Hall (Victoria Primary School) serving as the dedicated family theatre hub, and additional performances hosted at Victoria Girls’ High School, the Monument Building, and other venues, the Family & Youth Fare invites audiences of all ages into theatrical worlds where stories spark wonder, dialogue, and reflection.

2025 Programme Highlights

For Children & Families (All Ages):

I Don’t Believe in Dinosaurs
The Fairy Tale Detective Agency
Grommels
The Forest
Light and Darkness
Lehe La Kganyapa (Water Snake’s Egg)
Butterfly Heart / Serurubele
Ka-Boom
Naelstring
The King of Broken Things (10+)

For Youth (Teens and above):

Umbhobho – The Red Pipe (14+)
The Slightly Honest Trickster
Viva! A Vegas Magic Show
Psych
The Moon Looks Delicious From Here (14+)
Masc (16+)
Yangthola! (PG)
Mqambi weNyembezi: Vuka (16+)

Festival Venues Include:

Glennie Hall, Victoria Primary School
Victoria Theatre & Gymnasium, Victoria Girls’ High School
Rehearsal Room, Monument Building
Masonic Front (Freemasons Hall)
PJ Quad, Hoërskool P.J. Olivier

Tickets range from R50–R150 and are available via the National Arts Festival website:
👉 www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

Why This Programme Matters

ASSITEJS SA’s Family & Youth Fare Platform at the National Arts Festival is celebration of theatre for young audiences in South Africa. It is a space where children and teens are recognised as meaningful audiences, where imagination and dialogue are nurtured, and where artists are empowered to create with depth and purpose.

“We are proud to create a space where children and youth are not just entertained, but deeply seen,” says Kwanele Thusi, Marketing & Communications at ASSITEJ SA. “These stories remind us of the power of theatre to inspire, challenge, and connect us all.”

About ASSITEJ South Africa

ASSITEJ SA is the national network for theatre for children and young people, committed to making the arts accessible to every child and youth. It supports artists, connects communities, and brings world-class theatre to new generations across the country.