In its efforts to encourage skills development, the Baxter Theatre Centre has since 1998 run the Ikhwezi outreach programme, which culminates in the Ikhwezi Theatre Festival each year. Directors' workshops are held throughout the year, and selected groups visit the Baxter for the festival to present their plays and workshop theatre skills. Two plays are usually selected from the festival productions for a special run in the Studio, billed as "The Best of Ikhwezi".
See details of the 2010 Ikhwezi Festival, which took place from 11 to 20 March.
The Ikhwezi Festivals in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are supported by Africalia's development programme for South Africa, which seeks to contribute to the development of the South African culture in general and to an evolving and growing arts and culture sector, in socio-economic terms, as a source of income and employment. In doing so, the programme will also contribute to social cohesion, integration and inclusion of previously disadvantaged communities and to the transformation of South African society. The specific objective with regard to the Ikhwezi Festival is to assist young people and groups from previously disadvantaged communities to successfully and sustainably make their way in the arts and culture sector. Other organisations forming part of Africalia's programme are the Cultural Development Trust, the Visual Arts Network South Africa (VANSA), the Performing Arts Network South Africa (PANSA), from the hip: khulumakahle (FTH:K), the Dance Forum and the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company.
With the support of Africalia
