Msawenkosi Mfikili
“The rebirth of Msawenkosi Mfikili in theatre for young audiences and youth”. Early in 2019 I was honoured with an opportunity to work unswervingly with ASSITEJ South Africa as an intern for After School Game Changer project. Working for an international organisation for theatre, to me was a dream come true and a stepping stone to my career and a goal to work professionally with children in theatre.
Interning for ASSITEJ South Africa has enabled me to create work with and for young audiences, facilitate workshops and drama classes in the outreach programme of VIP’s and Jo’s School in Capricorn community. Having an opportunity to participate in “Cradle of Creativity 2019”, an international theatre festival for young audiences and youth for the first time in my life, has empowered, skilled and uplifted me into the mainstream theatre as I gained more experience in:
Front of House
Communication & Marketing
Project Assistant
Ushering and
Event organising
This festival also moulded me to a clearer understanding of what Project management really is, as I became more and more enthusiastic in doing a project management course. I was enrolled at Red and Yellow Business and Graphic Design School, where I did my online short course in Project Management. Finishing this course was the most optimistic achievement of my year 2019, as I was also impressed by my results and endorsement certificate, and this enabled me to be a qualified Assistant Project Manager for Vrygrond Family Festival 2019.
The After School Game Changer (ASGC) is one of seven priority projects of the Western Cape Provincial Government. It focuses on increasing the opportunities for youth by providing quality After School Programmes for learners in no-and low-fee schools. This includes academic support, sport, arts and life skills programmes. This initiative aims to reignite the importance of learning, improve educational outcomes, reduce school dropout and improve young people’s chances of becoming engaged and productive citizens. This project has skilled me most in formal professional office writing such as:
Report writing
Emails and Letters
Data Collection
Building networks with Western Cape artists, community groups and theatres.
I’m really grateful for the opportunity that ASSITEJ South Africa, Media Works, FirstRand Ltd, Rand Merchant Bank have given me, as now I can stand tall and affirmative to the outside artistic world, knowing that I have all the experience and confidence that I honestly needed to be an:
Independent theatre maker
Project Manager and
Theatre entrepreneur
