Jane Mpholo

Jane Mpholo is a multi-award-winning theatre practitioner and an audience development specialist at the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS). She has been active on both the national and international platforms with collaborations with practitioners from the Netherlands, the USA and Australia. Jane is a senior judge for the World Monologue Games and World Monologue Film Festival.

Her highlights as a writer include being chosen as one of the five top playwrights for the NATi Rising Stars programme for her script The dawn, making it to the top 20 playwrights list for the African Women Playwrights Festival of Plays for her script The naked truth (which she later turned into a short film), and having her script Fragmented on the programme for Teksmark 2022.

Her autobiographical show Psalm 69 has showcased both on national and on international platforms, such as the Global Leadership Summit 2018. Jane is a panel member for the National Arts Council and is a former FS Provincial Liaison for the BASA Debut Programme. She is a recent graduate of the BASA Cultural Producers Programme, an initiative between British Council, BASA, Common Purpose and the Manchester International Festival.

Her short film Cleanse, which looks at the life of a woman under oppression as a domestic worker, has won multiple international awards and been aired on DSTV pop-up channel 150 (Woordfees TV 2022). Jane is also one of the contributors for the Stemme/Voices monologues 2022, an initiative by LitNet and the Suidoosterfees.

Among her many awards and recognitions, she is a three-time kykNET Fiësta-nominated artist and has made it to the lists “Mail and Guardian Women Changing South Africa” and the “Sunday World Unsung Heroes 2022”.

World Theatre Day 2024: Jane Mpholo responds

Naomi Meyer, Jane Mpholo Lifestyle and entertainment 2024-04-02

"Even though it falls under the entertainment industry, theatre provokes discussions, teaches, and can be therapeutic. It takes a big team to get an idea into fruition. It takes a special team to leave an everlasting mark on someone’s life, be it visually or solely the performance aspect. Theatre moves."

KKNK 2024: an insider’s perspective on Lucky Pakkie

Naomi Meyer, Jane Mpholo KKNK 2024-03-28

"I am one of the 12 commissioned artists for the Lucky Pakkie programme. This is a very fun initiative where artists are granted 15 minutes, unconventional space, 30 chairs and two sets of lights … and what they come up with is entirely up to them."

LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop: Jane Mpholo's review of Ijoloba (final version)

Jane Mpholo Slypskole 2024-02-08

"The production design itself became a silent storyteller, shaping the audience’s perception and enriching their understanding of the Xhosa cultural landscape." | This review is Jane Mpholo’s final, reworked version after receiving mentor feedback as part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

LitNet | STAND: Theatre review of Ijoloba: The prophecy (version 2)

Jane Mpholo Slypskole 2023-11-21

"This production was site-specific, making use of the space and elements found there. The cast moved the story from one outdoor location to the next, incorporating trees, grass and stones into the narrative." | This review was revised and updated by the participant. This is the second version of this review, which forms part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

LitNet | STAND: Theatre review of Ijoloba: The prophecy (version 1)

Jane Mpholo Slypskole 2023-10-25

"This immersive theatre experience was nothing short of extraordinary, paying meticulous attention to detail while honouring the authenticity of South African stories. It was an experience that transcended conventional theatre, immersing us in the world of amaDongwe." | This review is part of the LitNet | STAND theatre review workshop.

Ha wa lebona

Jane Mpholo New writing 2022-09-13

Stemme | Voices | Amazwi is LitNet’s series of 15 short, powerful monologues, presented in collaboration with Suidoosterfees, NATi and ATKV. In Jane Mpholo’s Ha wa lebona, Lerato gives her former best friend, Palesa, a dressing down after malicious gossiping did the rounds. Tankiso Mamabolo performs the monologue, directed by Mahlatsi Mokgonyana. Watch the performance in Sesotho with English subtitles here.

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