Press: Magnet Theatre ‘GIVE 20PLENTY’ and The Magnet Emergency C-19 Fund Campaign campaigns

21 Leaders, 21 Theatre-makers, 21 Changemakers

Magnet Theatre is a 32 year old arts organisation with a suite of youth development projects that are aimed at transforming the lives of marginalised township youth. Our flagship project, the 2-year Fulltime Training and Job Creation Programme, is the only 'trade school' for theatre in the Western Cape, providing a suite of bridging programmes in theatre arts for unemployed youth.

Magnet Theatre has created the Give20Plenty Campaign for the long-term investment in the 21 youth on the 6th cohort of the Fulltime Training and Job Creation Programme (2020/2021). This bursary campaign is meant to ensure that we continue operating with our programmes until the end of the current cycle of training (2021). Despite the very tangible successes of the training programme which sees on a 3-year average, 94 % of our graduates in tertiary education and employment, the funding climate is challenging and finding sponsorship is becoming increasingly difficult. We are looking for people to partner with us in supporting the bursary costs for the students.

How are we managing in the lockdown: Magnet Theatre’s Response to Covid19

In March, at the beginning of the Covid 19 crisis in South Africa and the implementation of the lockdown, Magnet Theatre took a decision not to suspend its operations, and to roll out its programmes as successfully as possible through online and remote learning possibilities. This decision was taken as a result of considering the harsh effect it would have on the beneficiaries to suddenly withdraw communication, support, stipends and training at the same time as a devastating lockdown. We redesigned and rearranged the curriculum for the new 6th cohort of trainees, adapting all the training to an online format, working mostly through WhatsApp and Google Drive. Until we can come back to face to face teaching at our Magnet Theatre home in Observatory, we need support to provide participants with data, extra hours for teachers on the online platforms/ devices for equal access to information as well as food packages for our least resourced trainees and alumni.

The Magnet Emergency C-19 Fund Campaign is designed to address the unforeseen costs that has arisen as the result of this pandemic. Magnet Theatre needs to keep training and nurturing a generation of young leaders in the creative industries who can walk us out of here when social distancing is over. Ours is a story of organisational creativity and resilience in the face of the extreme challenge that Covid 19 has thrown in our path. See our short video of our students working at home:

Please have a look at our website for more information about us: www.magnettheatre.co.za

With direct links to the campaigns: magnettheatre.co.za/donate-to-magnets-give20plenty-campaign/

And: magnettheatre.co.za/donate-to-magnets-emergency-c19-campaign/

Our Facebook page: Magnet Theatre

Our YouTube channel also has some videos about our work and how we are operating in the lockdown.

Now more than ever we are needing the support of the community. We are appealing to you to please support these campaigns by sharing this information as widely as possible. Magnet staff and trainees are accessible for interviews as well as making available the material (short videos) we are editing for release.

Please contact NOMSA MBOTHWE with any helpful information and support: nomsa@magnettheatre.co.za