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 commitment to using the arts as a vehicle for personal and social transformation.
Our Work:
FATC's Artistic and Development Programmes are rooted in arts activism. We collaborate with like-minded performers, choreographers, educators, and creative allies to produce high-quality, participant-focused work that combines performance, education, and training.
At FATC, our focus is on nurturing skills, unlocking talent, and empowering individuals and their communities. Through dance and other arts-based methods, we strive for personal development, with the potential for social and economic transformation in rural areas. Our strategic programming includes inclusive arts education and events, making arts training financially accessible in remote rural communities. This provides practical alternatives to historically inaccessible education and tertiary training in urban areas.
Going Rural:
After years of operating mainly from Johannesburg, we moved our organization and programs to the rural area of Emakhazeni, Mpumalanga, creating the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre in 2015. In Emakhazeni, a severely under-resourced rural community, access to skills development opportunities is scarce for Children, Youths, Women, and Persons with Disabilities. In response, our programs aim to bridge this gap. As a result, we've successfully fulfilled our objective to serve as catalysts for the development and advancement of South African Artists, Arts Organizations, NGOs, and Community-Based Organizations, playing a progressive and dynamic role in personal development and societal transformation
What happens at the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre::
From the Ebhudlweni Arts Centre, we actively support our local rural community and contribute to the broader dance community through Arts Training Programs, Arts Experiences, and large-scale Arts Interventions. Recognised as a centre of excellence by the Mpumalanga Province Department of Sports, Culture & Recreation, Ebhudlweni bridges provincial, national and international industry connections. Our standout projects include the My Body My Space Festival, our residency programmes and the creation, performance, and touring of FATC works.
Our centres productions have reached global audiences, with performances and projects in places like Russia, Holland, Mexico, Tanzania, Mali, Madagascar, Mozambique, Reunion Island, France, Taiwan, Sweden, Germany, and Tunisia.
FATC's International & National Exposures and Residencies: :
London, England – Theatre Train (2023); Cape Town, Infecting the City Festival (February 2015 & 2014) 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) Danse l’Afrique Danse ( 2010) 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 honoured to play a key role in nurturing and propelling the careers of various artists and organizations. Notable individuals, including former members Dada Masilo and Fana Tshabalala, have flourished creatively with our support, achieving international acclaim. Our collaborations extend to distinguished figures in the realms of dance and theatre, both locally and internationally. Our network of association includes 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, Thulani Chauke, and Mamela Nyamza.
Click here to meet the FATC team.
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