Who we are
• We are a one-stop provider for all your education and training, entertainment for events, industrial theatre and general indoor/outdoor entertainment needs
• We are fully accredited service provider when you contract Sibikwa a portion of the cost can be claimed back from your industry SETA.
• We are flexible and competitive - able to meet your special requirements and requests.
• We cater for different Government Departments, Educational Institutions and Corporations.
• We have a proven record of reliability, advocacy, facilitation and community empowerment.
• We have over 19 years of proven industry experience and expertise.

What we do
• To encourage a culture of learning through the creative arts;
• To create jobs;
• To direct the energies of our youngsters towards productive activity;
• To equip our young people with life skills;
• To develop a canon of South African dramatic work;
• To provide our young people with hope for the future by empowering them with realistic expectations and marketable skills;
• To train our students to be professional and responsible in their attitudes and careers;
• To serve the community by using the medium of drama to develop and enrich the lives of ordinary people;
• To act as a conduit between different communities and to build bridges to enhance the process of transformation and reconciliation;
• To train our youngsters in acquiring vocational skills and to promote job creation.

Sibikwa Arts Centre was formed by a group of parents in the East Rand Township of Daveyton in 1988. Concerned by the low level of education, their children’s poor attendance at school, the lack of focus in their children’s lives, the increasing violence and the lack of amenities in the township, Sibikwa came into being. Sibikwa’s reputation spread, funds were secured from foreign governments, foundations and local business to initiate the Youth Development Project. In 1991, Sibikwa moved to their present location in Liverpool Park, Benoni.

The Liverpool Park Complex is a government building managed by the Provincial Department of  Public Works. The Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture (Gauteng) has identified Sibikwa as a Centre of Excellence.

OUR PROJECTS:

1. EDUCATION
Learnership Programme
Sibikwa offers education in a Learnership Programme which trains youth-at-risk. The Learnership programme is funded by Mappp-Seta. The programme runs for a year and the participants get Further Education Training (FET), Performing Arts Certificate NQF4. Learners attend the programme during the week. Our target market is out of school young people between the age of 18 and 28.

Internship Programme
Sibikwa offers training in an Internship Programme in the Performing Arts and Arts Administration. The Internship Programme is funded by SAIH. The programme runs during the week for a period of one year. Our target market in this programme is between the age of 18 and 28.

Saturday Arts Academy (SAA)
The SAA programme trains learners in the Performing and Visual Arts. Nearly 180 learners attend classes in drama, dance, visual art and music. Annual school holiday programmes are held. Our target market for this key area is young people between the ages of 4 and 24.

2. FESTIVALS
Total-Sibikwa Play Competition
Sibikwa is committed to enhancing the cultural life of the communities in Ekurhuleni. Community groups are offered courses in performance skills. An annual competition is held in July. We target community drama groups between the ages of 18 and 26.

Ntombi Nto Women’s Day Festival
Sibikwa celebrates Women’s month (August) each year with the Ntombi Nto Festival where dance, poetry and drama pieces are performed in celebration of Women.

Storytelling Festival
Every year, The Storytelling Festival celebrates the spoken word with and for children and adults. We have professional storytellers who come from South Africa and beyond our borders. We also have a competition for up and coming storytellers. We target the general public for this festival.

3. PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS
Sibikwa Players are our professional wing. Actors, dancers, musicians and singers represent Sibikwa’s professional component. Over the years, The Players have been dedicated to developing a canon of indigenous South African work and their commitment to bringing theatre to people who have never experienced the magic of live performance is unprecedented.

4. EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
For businesses, government departments, private functions and NGO’s. With years of experience, Sibikwa can deliver anything from extravagant elaborate productions to industrial theatre to the more basic yet equally effect road shows.

SUMMARY:
Sibikwa is an accredited Service Provider with Mappp-Seta. This gives the centre the capacity to offer nationally recognised qualifications in the Performing Arts endorsed by both SAQA and the Department of Labour. These Learnerships have the same status as a Matric and can be used to gain entrance to Universities and Technikons