Die volgende vyf kadidate is gekeur om aan die 2024/2025-seisoen van NATi Jong Sterre-projek deel te neem: Diano October, Franka Kirby, Mikyall Harris, Mosa Rabannye en Nelandi Boshoff. Hulle verhoogtekste sal onder leiding van Lee-Ann van Rooi en Rafiek Mammon ontwikkel word om as professionele teaterproduksies in 2025 by die Suidoosterfees te debuteer.
These five candidates were selected to participate in the 2024/2025 season of the NATi Rising Stars project: Diano October, Franka Kirby, Mikyall Harris, Mosa Rabannye en Nelandi Boshoff. Their stage plays will be developed under mentorship of Lee-Ann van Rooi and Rafiek Mammon to debut as professional productions during Suidoosterfees 2025.
Diano October (32)
Diano October is ’n visuele kunstenaar, skrywer en navorser van Bridgton in Oudtshoorn. Sy belangstellings sluit wetenskap, beeldhou, kulturele sisteme en betekenisskepping in. Diano is sedert 2022 betrokke by die KKNK se bekroonde multidissiplinêre gemeenskapsprojek Karoo Kaarte. Hy is deel van die kernspan van Karoo Kaarte en het reeds rolle soos navorser, kunstenaar, illustreerder, toergids en fasiliteerder vervul in hierdie program wat streef daarna om Oudtshoorn se onvertelde en ongedokumenteerde stories te vertel. Diano se uitsonderlike aandag aan detail verhoog die trefkrag van die beelde wat hy in verskillende media gebruik.
Diano October (32)
Diano October is a visual artist, writer and researcher from Bridgton in Oudtshoorn. His interests include science, sculpture, cultural systems and the creation of meaning. In 2022, Diano became involved with the award-winning multidisciplinary community project of the KKNK called Karoo Kaarte. He is part of the core team of Karoo Kaarte and has taken on roles such as researcher, artist, illustrator, tour guide and facilitator in this programme that aims to tell Oudtshoorn’s untold and undocumented stories. Diano’s astounding attention to detail enhances the effectiveness of the imagery he employs in various media.
Franka Kirby (24)
Franka Kirby is ’n aktrise, skrywer en ontluikende teatermaker afkomstig van die Oos-Kaap. Sy het in 2022 haar professionele vier-jaar-graad in teaterstudie en uitvoerende kunste aan die UK voltooi en in 2023 meegewerk aan die ensemble-werk FAKE N.E.W.S., ’n inisiatief van InfluenZArt NPC. Gedurende haar studies het sy aan studentefilms meegewerk. In 2022 en 2023 het sy deelgeneem aan die 48 Hour Film Project vir die skep van kortfilms. Franka het in 2024 die Zabalaza-fees se prys vir beste aktrise verower vir haar rol in Extreme lengths. Sy skryf gereeld resensies vir die dansgeselskap UNMUTE en skryf ook vir haar eie platform, loveartonly. Franka beskryf die skiet van Mince jou hare as ’n groot hoogtepunt. Sy wil stories skryf wat haar gemeenskap bemagtig en weerspieël deurdat sy haar verskillende identiteite as vrou, persoon van kleur, Suid-Afrikaner, godsdienstige en tempel van kreatiwiteit ondersoek.
Franka Kirby (24)
Franka Kirby is an actress, writer and budding theatre maker hailing from the Eastern Cape. She completed her four-year professional degree in theatre and performance studies at UCT in 2022 and collaborated on the ensemble work FAKE N.E.W.S., an initiative of InfluenZArt NPC, in 2023. During her studies, she participated in student films. In 2022 and 2023, she took part in the 48 Hour Film Project for creating short films. Franka won the 2024 Zabalaza Festival prize for best actress for her role in Extreme lengths. She regularly writes reviews for UNMUTE Dance Company and also writes for her own platform, loveartonly. Franka considers shooting Mince jou hare to be a big highlight. She intends to write stories that empower and represent her community through her exploration of her multiple identities as a woman, person of colour, South African, religious person and temple for creativity.
Mikyall Harris (22)
Mikyall David Harris is ’n jong akteur, skrywer en vervaardiger van Worcester wie se teaterwerke ’n impak maak op kinder- (Ko’ lat o’s speel) sowel as volwasse (Tsekmate) gehore. Hy het sy honneurs in toegepaste teaterstudies cum laude in 2023 by die Universiteit Stellenbosch verwerf. Hy het die teks van Su’walla Kassam geskryf, wat by vanjaar se KKNK opgevoer is en drie pryse verower het by die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Première-teaterfees waarvoor dit oorspronklik geskep is. Hy is tans besig met sy internskap in produksie en televisieteks vir eTV se sepie Kelders van geheime. Hy is ook besig met sy eie skryfprojek met die werkstitel Vannie wal af waarin hy beoog om temas soos kulturele verskille en LGBTQI+ identiteit in ’n rou en ongefiltreerde narratiewe lig te ondersoek.
Mikyall Harris (22)
Mikyall David Harris is a young actor, writer and director from Worcester whose theatre works are making an impact on children (Ko’ lat o’s speel) and adult (Tsekmate) audiences alike. He completed his honours in applied theatre studies cum laude at Stellenbosch University in 2023. He wrote the script of Su’walla Kassam that was performed at this year’s KKNK and that received three prizes at the Stellenbosch University’s Première Theatre Festival for which it was originally created. He is currently a production and scriptwriting intern for the eTV soap Kelders van geheime. He is also busy with an own writing project with working title Vannie wal af in which he aims to explore themes such as cultural differences and LGBTQI+ identity in a raw and unfiltered narrative light.
Mosa Rabannye (25)
Mosa Neema Rabannye is ’n aktrise, skrywer, teatermaker, regisseur en vertaler van Botshabelo. Haar fiksie is in aanlyn tydskrifte soos Isele Magazine en New Valley Zine gepubliseer. Sy het by die Vrystaat Kunstefees opgetree as deel van die geselskap Bloem Klown Troop en het in verskeie plaaslike rolprente gespeel. Sy het ook al meegewerk met Theatre Arts, Creative Careers South Africa, Craft Bites International en die Playwrights Guild of Canada. Mosa is ’n 2023-alumnus van die Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Studies (JIAS) en is ook hierdie jaar gekies as ’n kulturele vervaardiger deur Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) en as ’n Sprinng-skrywersgenoot. Haar werk fokus op die lewe van persone van kleur, armes en ook die LGBTQI+ gemeenskap.
Mosa Rabannye (25)
Mosa Neema Rabannye is an actress, writer, theatre maker, director and translator from Botshabelo. Her fiction has been published in online magazines such as the Isele Magazine and the New Valley Zine. She has performed at the Vrystaat Arts Festival as part of the Bloem Klown Troop and starred in various local films. She has collaborated with Theatre Arts, Creative Careers South Africa, Craft Bites International and Playwrights Guild of Canada. Mosa is a 2023 alumnus of the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Studies (JIAS) and has also been chosen as a Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) cultural producer and a Sprinng writing fellow this year. Her work focuses on the lives of persons of colour, the poor as well as on the LGBTQI+ community.
Nelandi Boshoff (23)
Nelandi Boshoff is ’n opkomende aktrise, sangeres en skrywer van Langebaan op die Weskus. Tydens haar dramastudies aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch het sy aan verskeie departementele produksies deelgeneem, insluitende Sonde met die spoke en The Addams family: A new musical. In haar derde jaar is haar toneelstuk Bopha!, met medeskrywer Osvaldo Vilanculo, by die Première Teaterfees genomineer vir beste teks. Sy het haar honneursgraad in teaterstudie met spesialisasie in kabaret in 2023 behaal. Vroeër vanjaar is sy vir die Kanna-toekenning vir beste opkomende kunstenaar genomineer vir haar professionele debuut in die produksie Roem: die Musiekblyspel van Deon Meyer en Coenie de Villiers.
