Our Name:
The Forgotten Angle Theatre Collaborative came about when a festival/performance platform PJ Sabbagha and Tracey Human were applying to requested a company name. The name is Inspired by the reference "Every journey conceals another journey within its lines; the path not taken and the forgotten angle. These are the journeys I wish to record. Not the ones I made, but the ones I might have made, or perhaps did make in some other place or time." from Jeannette Winterson's novel Oranges are not the Only Fruit. Similar to the novel's exploration of positions that counter convention, FATC has established a firm arts activism identity through the organisation's strong committed to using the arts as a vehicle for personal and social transformation.
Our Work:
Arts activism, lies at the heart of each project within FATC’s extensive Artistic and Development Programmes.
In its 29-year history FATC has collaborated with performers, choreographers, educators, performance practitioners and creative sector allies to present top quality, participant and democratisation focused performance, education, and training programmes at a national and international level. Since its inception FATC has been dedicated to the creation of innovative and provocative South African dance theatre. Under the Artistic Directorship of founder, PJ Sabbagha, FATC has produced a prolific body of work dedicated to the probing of critical personal and social issues. The current Artistic Programme of the organisation continues this commitment to interrogating contemporary personal, social and environmental issues.
Going Rural:
Following years of operating primarily from Johannesburg, FATC relocated its 29-year-old organisation and programmes to the rural area of Emakhazeni, Mpumalanga; establishing the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre in 2015. The hugely under-resourced & under-served rural community location of Emakhazeni is characterised by a severe scarcity of access to Skills Development Opportunities for Children, Youths, Women and Persons with Disabilities. Responsive to this reality, FATC programmes have positioned to facilitate access-bridging experiences. Resultantly and continuing still, FATC has been able to deliver on its objective to Facilitate, Develop and Advance the role of South African Artists, Arts Organizations, NGOs and Community Based Organizations as progressive and dynamic agents of Personal Development and Societal Transformation.
From the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre, the organisation is able to serve its immediate rural community, through:
Arts Training Programmes, Arts Experiences, The National and International Dance Industry through residency programmes, Large-scale Arts Interventions such as the My Body My Space: Public Arts Festival and The Creation, Performance and Touring of its Artistic Programme FATC’s Artistic Programme has enjoyed a busy national and international touring schedule with projects, performances and residencies in Russia, Holland, Mexico, Tanzania, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion Island, France, Taiwan, Sweden, Germany and Tunisia.
Among the international & National Exposures and Residencies are:
Bamako, Mali (in competition Danse l’Afrique Danse, 2010) Cape Town, Infecting the City Festival (February 2014 and 2015) Voorkamerfees, Darling and Artscape (September 2015) 12 African cities tour: Francophonie celebration: Fana Tshabalala’s duet Between Us performs in a double-bill with a solo by Marcel Gbeffa (Benin) in Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gabon, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda (March 28 – May 12, 2015) France (Paris, Challon, Aix en Provence) Taipei, Taiwan Maputo, Mozambique Marrakesh, Morocco Tunis, Tunisia Mexico (eight city tour of Sabbagha’s Back in collaboration with Dada Masilo & Lulu Mlangeni) Amsterdam and The Hague Moscow, Yaraslav and Kostromo, Russia Drama for Life Sex Actually Festival Germany Antananarivo, Madagascar Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Dance Umbrella Georgina Thomson’s New Dance Festival National Arts Festival Jomba! Contemporary Dance Experience"
Growing & Hosting Talent:
FATC is proud to be associated with the development, launching and success of a variety of artists and organisations. Among the many whose creative voices have emerged through, been nurtured or supported by FATC are former FATC company members, Dada Masilo and Fana Tshabalala, who now enjoy growing international performance opportunities and professional careers. Over the years, FATC has collaborated with renowned South African and international dance and theatre artists such as: Gregory Maqoma, Shanell Winlock, Boyzie Cekwana, Sylvaine Strike, Nelisiwe Xaba, Gerard Bester, Jennifer Ferguson, Gladys Agulhas, Irene Stephanou, Sello Pessa, Daniel Buckland, Moeketsi Koena, Athena Mazarakis, Craig Morris, Gys de Villiers, Dawid Minaar, Timothy le Roux, Eric Languet, Concorde Nkabinde (composer), Lucky Kele, Bafikile sedibe, Hlengiwe Lushaba, Gaby Saranouffi, Rudolf Vosser (visual artist), Ivan Estegneev , Evgeny Kulagen, Dada Masilo, Thulani Chauke, Fana Tshabalala and Mamela Nyamza.
Click here to meet the family.
A
