You wear many hats. How do you answer the question: 'What do you do?'
I am a film, theatre and content producer working in the creative industries.
What do you do each day at work?
I am currently enrolled for my PhD in visual arts at the University of Johannesburg, so I am researching The Fordsburg Women's Group from the 1980s. This project will be a multimedia, visual and performance art presentation. I am interviewing some of the stalwart women from Fordsburg.
We are also producing a documentary on a song, Homeland: A Song for Refugees, with the Turquoise Harmony Institute.
I just concluded hosting the Nelson Mandela Children's Film Festival, and we are working on an incubation of animation and gaming within our African Animation Studio, where we produced 20 public service announcements on Covid and children.
What has work been like during lockdown?
I started The-F-Show, an online chat show in which we discuss contemporary and political topics with high-profile guests from all over the world, as a way of staying in touch with my global friends and partners. We also produced animation series Wazi's Wonderful World and the Memory Is a Weapon Festival with the University of York (UK), as a way of connecting women of colour globally during the pandemic.
What do you love most about the work you do?
My focus is content production, in other words, storytelling, specifically from a pan-African perspective, whether it is in film, animation or theatre.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
I was a student political activist and was detained when I was in matric, so my focus was always on justice and democracy. I am living my dream as a storyteller, producer, teacher, trainer, mentor and volunteer.
What career advice do you have for young people?
Follow your passion. It may be hard work, but at least it is what you love, and you will enjoy and earn from something you love.
Tell me about being a judge for the PYP Awards.
Play Your Part is a nationwide movement created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. The objective is to . inspire all South Africans to contribute to positive change.
I am humbled to have a front seat in previewing the entries. It is a privilege to witness the quality of work and projects entered into the awards. South Africans are doing great work, especially in the development sector, and Covid has brought out the best in ordinary people who have reached deep into their resources, both material and human, offering food, financial support, work opportunities and shelter.
There have been so many worthy entries, and we will try our best to mentor and support as many projects as possible and to ensure that the network will grow.
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