The Queen Modjadji Festival explored contemporary African identity through the arts, research, education, and dialogue. Drawing inspiration from the Rain Queen as a symbol of renewal, feminine strength, and balance, the festival used her legacy to investigate women’s voices, indigenous philosophies, and the evolving realities of Africansocieties. Moving beyond traditional event models, the project team engaged directly with communities and transformed those insights into new theatre and audio works.
This initiative began with a planned symposium on “Feminism in the African Context” to address complex questions around morality, tradition, abuse, and the changing roles of women. Realizing a single gathering would not capture the diversity of these conversations, the team collaborated with the Bakgatla Traditional Council to take the dialogue into 13 villages within the Moretele Municipality.
By engaging with elders, women, and youth in familiar spaces, and simultaneously commissioning five academic research papers, the project merged community experience, academic research, and cultural perspectives into a rich foundation for creative development.
These dialogues and research papers served as raw material for storytelling. An open call attracted 30 theatre practitioners, voice-over actors, and actresses. Alongside scholars and experienced theatre makers, the team distilled field observations into thematic conceptual frameworks.
During the production phase, the team developed five 15-minute radio drama scripts and three stage plays consisting of one one-hander and two two-handers. These compressed formats allowed creators to focus intensely on character dynamics and conflicts while working within strict budget and time constraints. This dual-medium approach combined the intimacy of live performance with the broad accessibility of audio, which is crucial for communities lacking formal theatre infrastructure.
Funded by the National Arts Council under the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP), the project featured live staging of the three plays and listening sessions for the audio dramas. Moreover, secured broadcast agreements with Moretele Community and Motla radio stations, to reach wider audiences.
Get in touch via email at imdancestudio22@gmail.com to support Queen Modjadji Festival
