BY NELIWE NGUBANE
MBABANE — A new theatre may provide the stage, the lights and the seats, but it is the stories told inside it that ultimately bring a theatre to life.
This was the deeper message from Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Pholile Shakantu, who has called on local creatives to embrace the newly opened International Convention Centre (ICC) theatre and use it as a platform to showcase quality Eswatini productions.
Speaking at the official launch of the inaugural October International Theatre Festival in Mbabane, Shakantu said the opening of the state-of-the-art theatre had created an important opportunity for the country’s performing arts sector.
“His Majesty recently opened the ICC, which houses a state of the art theatre. That venue now needs quality local productions to fill it, to challenge it, and to make it come alive. The October Festival is positioned to do that work,” she said.
Her remarks placed the festival within a much larger conversation about the future of theatre in Eswatini.
Rather than viewing the October International Theatre Festival simply as another event on the entertainment calendar, Shakantu highlighted its potential to become a bridge between investment in cultural infrastructure and the growth of the creatives expected to use it.
The message is clear: a world-class theatre cannot fulfil its purpose if local stages remain empty or local stories remain unheard.
For Eswatini’s theatre practitioners, the festival therefore represents more than an opportunity to perform. It is a chance to prove that local productions can occupy prestigious stages, engage audiences and stand alongside international work.
Shakantu also placed strong emphasis on skills development, particularly the opportunity for local artists to learn from visiting creatives participating in the festival.
“We also appreciate the training our local artists will receive from visiting artists during the festival. Exchange is how we grow,” she said.
She explained that such interaction could strengthen the entire creative ecosystem, noting that artists, directors and technicians all stand to benefit from exposure to different approaches.
“When our performers learn new techniques, when our directors work with new methods, and when our technicians share skills, the whole ecosystem gets stronger,” Shakantu said.
The statement speaks to one of the festival’s most significant possibilities — creating an environment where international participation does not simply mean bringing foreign performers to Eswatini, but also allowing knowledge to flow back into the local industry.
Through this exchange, local practitioners can gain new perspectives on performance, directing, production and technical theatre, potentially influencing the quality and ambition of future productions.
Shakantu further called on businesses, sponsors, partners and members of the public to support the festival, recognising that the growth of theatre requires more than artists alone.
“To our partners, sponsors, and audiences we invite you to partner with the October Theatre Festival. To our artists: this is your stage. To Mbabane: thank you for once again opening your doors to theatre,” she said.
Her message to artists was particularly significant. “This is your stage” was not merely an invitation to participate, but a call for creatives to take ownership of the opportunities emerging within the country’s cultural landscape.
The festival is expected to contribute to the revival of theatre in Eswatini by creating a dedicated platform for local and international productions, while encouraging skills development and cultural exchange.
Shakantu concluded by officially declaring the festival launched, marking a new chapter for theatre in Mbabane and signalling renewed confidence in the ability of the creative sector to tell Eswatini’s stories from a stage built to receive them.
“May I now take this opportunity to declare the October Theatre Festival officially launched!” she said.
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