| TAEP is an outreach programme aimed at empowerment through art. The programme promotes visual literacy and an appreciation of the arts while also providing initial training for a long-term career in the arts or arts administration.
Dance, drama and music performances will be staged by the TAEP facilitators and their students during the mini festival. There will also be art and crafts on display that will be on sale.
Emerging director and playwright Ricky Bopape is showcasing his play We On Air - Radio Nonesense 69.4-5, in June he will be taking the play to the National Arts Festival Fringe in Grahamstown. We On Air is a light-hearted comedy based on the exciting and ever-evolving world of a radio station - Radio Nonsense on 69.45 FM. The play brings radio to the theatre; it chronicles the DJ's daily life, sending up adverts, jingles and interviews. It also includes live music and dance. It uses comedy as a platform to address social concerns that are currently facing South Africans. Exaggerated props, crazy plots and cleverly disguised names of celebrities are used to address these matters. The mickey is taken out of politicians, taxi drivers and kwaito stars with hilarious results.
Ricky Bopape studied Drama at The Prida - Paul Rapetsoa Institute of Dramatic Arts, Photography at The Market Photography Workshop and Music at The Soyikwa Institute of African Theatre. He is currently a drama facilitator on a voluntary basis for the TAXI Art Education Programme (TAEP). He has performed in a number of plays in Johannesburg and was part of a play in last year's National Arts Festival.
The TAXI Art theatre company is made up of twelve young and upcoming actors from the Soweto area and will be featuring Anniki Mokoena. Anniki Mokoena started her career in acting in 1976 and has worked with well known directors such as Alf Sibane, Paul Mhuma, Boikie Mahuma and Janice Honeyman in an array of stage productions. Currently she is teaching traditional dancing to youths in Soweto.
Bopape has been able to make his dream of taking the play to Grahamstown a reality with funding from David Krut Arts Resource (DK ARTS) and support from Linda Givon.
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