Presented by ASSITEJ South Africa, a network body promoting theatre for children and young people, the festival is being hosted at the Northern Cape Theatre until Friday (28/8). It is the country’s only international festival dedicated to theatre and performing arts for children and young people.

The 2026 programme features 22 productions from ten countries, spanning theatre, dance, music, circus, puppetry and interdisciplinary performance, with productions created for audiences ranging from one-year-olds to adults.

ASSITEJ South Africa Director Yvette Hardie said bringing the festival to Kimberley has been a long-standing ambition, following a call from Northern Cape artists in 2019 to host the event in the province.

“It is so exciting that we are here in Kimberley for Cradle of Creativity,” said Hardie. “This is a journey that started in 2019 when Northern Cape artists came to the Cradle of Creativity in Cape Town and said to me, we have to bring this to Kimberley.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for professional exchange for artists to get to know others who are working in the same field. We really believe that dancers and artists of all kinds need to be able to sustain themselves through their work, and that means creating models that will tour for longer and ultimately have a deeper impact.

“It is a unique opportunity, and I really hope that Kimberley will come out, come to the Northern Cape Theatre, and see what wonderful work is being made on your doorstep, but also what is coming from across the world and across the country to you.”

The focus is not only on skills development, but also on helping artists create work that can be performed and toured beyond a single festival, she said. By developing sustainable models for production and touring, the workshops aim to contribute to longer-term opportunities for Northern Cape artists and deepen the impact of their work.

Kimberley residents and visitors are urged to attend the remaining performances and experience work from the province, South Africa and around the world.

“It is a unique opportunity, and I really hope that Kimberley will come out and see what’s happening, what wonderful work is being made on your doorstep.”

OFM News/Zenande Mpame sm

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