One of our oldest traditions is telling stories, and one of the best ways to bring them to life is through theatre. Ameera Conrad, 30, has found her purpose in this art form, and relocated to the United Kingdom to pursue it further. It’s been a tough ride at times, but she has support groups on both sides of the ocean, and she’s committed to promoting South Africa in English theatre. That’s because she believes that our country is a global leader in many ways, and the world is hungry for our stories. Ameera was able to work on the international stage because of a theatre piece called The Fall that she worked on about the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall movements.
As a student, she drew on personal experience when she co-wrote it, and it received much acclaim. She strives to promote the voices of black African women in a space that still has strong elements of racism and patriarchy. She does this through her organisation, 20 Stories High, where she is the creative leader. Her job entails not only writing, directing and performing in theatres across the UK, but also helping to create development programmes for the youth and underrepresented artists.
BA Honours (Theatre & Performance, Theatre Making), University of Cape Town
I will always be proud of The Fall — a theatre piece which I co-wrote, co-curated, and performed, about the Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall movements in 2015. Being a student at that time, the show drew on personal experiences and gave voice to some of the stories that would otherwise have not been told about that period. The show toured internationally and received rave reviews and multiple awards. It is the reason I can work internationally to this day, carrying proudly the flag of South African theatre in my hands.
I learnt that the world is hungry for stories about South Africa, and that our country is oftentimes on the forefront of radical change-making, but that we are overlooked and underestimated. I am working to change that perception in the global arts scene.
Nadia Davids and Amy Jephta are amazing women in the arts who have always been supportive and kind. Here in the UK, I’m lucky to have worked with Matthew Xia, a brilliant director who has helped me see that I could have a future in artistic leadership.