The Jakes Gerwel Foundation and the Suidoosterfees would like to support and encourage young playwrights to be creative in our current uncertain times. Therefore, young playwrights are being offered an exceptional chance to polish and perfect their plays under professional and intensive mentorship. As we are dedicated to developing and promote emerging talent this initiative targets playwrights who are at the threshold of their careers and who are still new to the industry.
Abduragman Adams, well-known television and film actor, especially known for his role in Suidooster, will act as the mentor. Adams is also active as director, playwright and theatre lecturer.
Playwrights who would like to be part of this programme must submit their new play, or an excerpt from the play, together with their CV, to Theo Kemp, executive director of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation at theo@jgf.org.za by 26 June 2020
No existing work that has already been performed will be considered.
The successful candidates will be given the opportunity to write for a period of three weeks in September in the writers’ house of the Jakes Gerwel Foundation, Paulet House, which situated in Somerset East in the Eastern Cape. This house with its old-world charm, its spacious rooms, elegant living areas, and lush garden offers the ideal environment for undisturbed creative writing. The travel and accommodation costs as well as meals of the chosen writers will be covered by the Jakes Gerwel Foundation.
Through this project that offers mentorship to talented individuals who would not have had access to it otherwise, the passion of the late professor Jakes Gerwel is continued. In fact, it is with this purpose in mind that the Jakes Gerwel Foundation has been called into life: to build, through relevant projects, on the legacy of Gerwel who excelled as educator, liberator, patron of the arts and astute businessman. As Prof. Gerwel played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Suidoosterfees and, because the festival focuses on inclusivity in the arts, these two organisations are proud to join hands in this project.
After Prof. Gerwel passed away, his widow Mrs Phoebé Gerwel donated his beloved Paulet House to the Foundation with the purpose in mind to turn it into a writers’ house.
The texts of the young participating playwrights will, after completion of the mentorship programme, be considered for stage production at a future Suidoosterfees.
