Design Indaba appoints Koleka Putuma as theatre producer

Poet, performer and theatre producer Koleka Putuma.

It is in light of this evolution that they have appointed award-winning poet and performer Koleka Putuma as theatre producer.

Cirque du Soleil for the intellect

As Design Indaba founder Ravi Naidoo says: “Design Indaba is the Cirque du Soleil for the intellect and a place where we champion the simple honesty of making. We are about cultural invention, not impresarios or event promoters.

I am proud that we have a tradition of only collaborating directly with the best innovators in the world. Koleka represents the best of the South African creative garde. Not only is she a brilliant poet and author but she is also a performer and theatrical producer. We’re looking forward to having her on the team.”

Dope explosion

Koleka has taken the country’s literary scene by storm with her bestselling debut poetry collection, Collective Amnesia, which is now on its 6th print run and has been prescribed for study at tertiary level in South African universities.

She was recently recognised as a Rising Star at the 2017 South African Mbokodo Award. She directed Mbuzeni, which is performing internationally at Schone Aussicht at JES in Stuttgart and has been invited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Putuma says:

For the next few months, I hope to be a co-creator in magic-making and to be an accomplice in realising the speakers’ ideas and wishes. I am honoured to be a part of the incredible brand and community of Design Indaba. I am looking forward to learning, to expanding my knowledge on the multiple industries of design, and to collaborating with all the minds, speakers, ears, hearts and eyes that are and will be part of making this dope explosion happen.