Where imagination takes centre stage!                  

Join us for the Northern Cape tour to Kimberley from 24 – 28 August 2026, at the Northern Cape Theatre.

Presented by ASSITEJ South Africa, Cradle of Creativity is the country’s only international festival dedicated to theatre and the performing arts for children and young people. Its 2026 programme features 22 productions from 10 countries, spanning theatre, dance, music, circus, puppetry and interdisciplinary performance, with experiences created for audiences from one year old through to adulthood.

Since its origins in the hosting of the ASSITEJ World Congress in 2017, the festival has developed into a major platform for artistic excellence, international collaboration, audience development and professional exchange. It showcases outstanding work from South Africa, across Africa and around the world.

“Children and young people in South Africa seldom have the opportunity to experience international theatre and performing arts of this scale,” says Yvette Hardie, Director of ASSITEJ South Africa. “We believe that where a child lives should never determine the quality of arts experiences they can access. Cradle of Creativity is about bringing the world to children, while showcasing the creativity and stories of South Africa to the world.”

This will be the first time that Cradle of Creativity is hosted in the Northern Cape. The decision to bring elements of the festival to Kimberley responds directly to the need for greater geographic equity in access to arts and culture. The festival provides an important platform for local participation, professional exchange, audience development and the activation of partnerships with cultural and educational institutions within the province.

Productions on the Northern Cape Tour include the 1-2s, an educational engagement by De Stilte, a leading dance company from the Netherlands, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and choreographed by Letlhogonolo Nche from Kimberley, when he was resident at De Stilte in Breda.

1-2s is an encounter between two dancers and an audience.  Two dancers present a duet on location where they are forced to work together within a confined space, where they must navigate their differences, negotiate with one another, and learn how to coexist. This challenges dancers and audiences to understand the importance of sharing… not only the physical space, but also responsibility, attention, and agency. The duet is followed by a workshop, where everyone is allowed to experience the joy of dancing.

De Stilte Dance Company and Letlhogonolo will be running workshops with artists from the province, to unpack the methodology, during the course of the week.

Amandla Dança Teatro ZA brings IreOlúwa, a captivating and thought-provoking theatrical production that weaves together the threads of culture, identity, and resilience. Through a rich tapestry of music, dance, and drama, this powerful performance explores the complexities of human experience and the unbreakable bonds of community. Weaving together Yoruba and Khwe Xam (Khoi San) cultures, this powerful production honours the interconnected stories of the Orishas and the Khwe Xam people, embracing the past to forge a stronger future. A journey of hope, perseverance, and the sacred bond between humans and the land, revealing the transformative power of storytelling.

Sbo Ndaba’s production of Our Mother, The Earth … Where will the children play? is an acclaimed dance-theatre production from Cape Town, directed and choreographed by award-winning South African artist, Sbonakaliso Ndaba. The production asks, “What kind of world will we leave behind?”

As climate change accelerates, the choices we make today will shape the future of our planet. The warnings are clear, but so is our ability to create change.  This powerful journey celebrates the beauty of nature, while confronting the urgent realities of the climate crisis.  A visually striking production that weaves together African contemporary dance, live music, song, spoken word, and digital projections to inspire hope, reflection, and action.

More than a performance, Our Mother, The Earth is a powerful reminder that every action matters. The future is not written yet; it begins with us. It begins now. The emotionally charged, 55-minute production has been highly praised for its energetic and dynamic cast and invites participation from young people on stage as well as in the audience.

The award-winning Born Naked brings its bold, playful and joyfully disobedient storytelling to Kimberley as part of the NC Cradle of Creativity on Tour. Since premiering in 2018, this critically acclaimed production has travelled across South Africa, using theatre, music, drag performance and radical self-expression to open meaningful conversations about identity, friendship, belonging and human rights. Inspired by true stories and lived experiences, and told in honour of Thapelo Makhutle from Kuruman, Born Naked celebrates queer joy, resilience and the life-changing power of being truly seen and chosen. The production is the first queer South African text selected as an IEB prescribed Matric work for Dramatic Arts. This Northern Cape tour forms part of Born Naked: Scene Nine x Archiving the Mirror, proudly supported by the 2026 Bertha Artivism Award, which recognises artists around the world using creativity and storytelling to advance social justice.

Born Naked stars Lethabo Bereng as Queen Bling and Sihle Shona as Blaq Widow, brought to life through Kirsten Harris’s playful direction. Co-created by Harris, Kopo Jake Nathane and Bereng, the production brings together lighting designer Barry Strydom, choreographer Donovan Yaards and stage manager Miriam Mayet, presented collaboratively by ZikkaZimba Productions and Hijinks Theatre.

In addition, Northern Cape artists will take to the stage with performances that celebrate the diversity and richness of the province, as part of a showcasing of work created under the Social Employment Fund.

The Cradle of Creativity Festival is in partnership with the Department of Basic Education and is partially supported through the Social Employment Fund. Booking is on Quicket.

Partners in the Northern Cape include the Northern Cape Arts and Culture Council, the Northern Cape Theatre, Batsumi Luxury Guest House, Northern Cape Real, the Buz Hive, the Biz Guy, and the DG Murray Trust.

The festival is presented in Johannesburg with the support of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture and Market Theatre Foundation, the Royal Netherlands Embassy, the Performing Arts Fund NL, the Social Employment Fund, and with the support of the Goethe-Institut and Expertise France, in partnership with Institut Français, within the framework of the Connect & Create programme funded by the European Union.

Festival dates:

Cradle of Creativity On Tour, Northern Cape
Northern Cape Theatre, Kimberley
24 -28 August 2026

Cradle of Creativity Festival, Gauteng
Market Theatre, Johannesburg
31 August to 6 September 2026

Media enquiries:
Kwanele Finch Thusi
Social Media Officer
ASSITEJ South Africa
kwanele@assitej.org.za

Yvette Hardie
director@assitej.org.za
082 859 5635
ASSITEJ South Africa
http://www.assitej.org.za/