ISIBA Arts Collective: Young Voices Bringing South African Theatre to Grahamstown

 ISIBA Arts Collective: Young Voices Bringing South African Theatre to Grahamstown

This morning on Bush Radio 89.5 FM, The Morning Cruise shone a spotlight on two passionate young artists from the University of Cape Town (UCT), Luca Noyila and Bongi Nkomani. Their mission: to take their company, ISIBA Arts Collective, and their new theatrical creation to the prestigious National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. It’s an ambitious journey, driven by the power of collective effort, creativity, and the desire to share stories that resonate with South African youth.

A Company Born from Experience and Collaboration

ISIBA Arts Collective is a young company founded by Luca Noyila, born out of a final-year project at UCT. After several successful performances, the collective structured itself around six members, each bringing unique skills: artistic direction, production management, finance, marketing, administration, and education. Their mission is to tell stories rooted in African identity, blending physical theatre, organic music, and tradition, while tackling powerful themes such as healing, intergenerational trauma, and cultural pride.

“Umka Binyam”: A Play About Absence and Healing

The play they are presenting at the National Arts Festival is titled “Umka Binyam,” created by Oyonela Luka. It explores both personal and collective stories of loss, focusing on the absence of fathers in the lives of young South Africans. Through this work, ISIBA aims to create a space for reflection and healing, where each audience member can recognize their wounds and discover ways to transform them.

Representing Youth on the National Stage

For Luca and Bongi, being present in Grahamstown is a unique opportunity to give visibility to young artists and make their voices heard. The National Arts Festival is a springboard—not only for recognition but also for building connections in the artistic community and inspiring other young people to follow the same path. They stress the importance of integrity, transparency, and innovation in their approach, aiming to offer real opportunities to the new generation and move away from the practices of the past.

A Collective Project, Supported by the Community

Their adventure wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the University of Cape Town, partners like E-Rising Tides, and numerous donations from their crowdfunding campaign. Their goal: to raise 100,000 rand to cover festival expenses and provide fair compensation to each team member. So far, they have already collected more than half, but every contribution counts to make this project a success.

How to Support ISIBA Arts Collective

The public can support the collective by donating via email (princeloco9@gmail.com) or by following their journey on Instagram (@isibaartscollective), where they share behind-the-scenes content and rehearsal snippets. Any form of support sharing, donating, attending performances is valuable in helping these young artists raise the profile of South African theatre.

Writing by Laure