The countdown to the AfTA conference has begun – Exchange ideas, knowledge and information on African theatre and performance

The call for papers for the forthcoming annual conference of the African Theatre Association (AfTA) closes on 2 February 2026.

Revolutionary intellectual, Dr Lwasi Lushuba, will be the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the African Theatre Association (AfTA) hosted by the TUT Department of Performing Arts, Faculty of Arts and Design, in July. Interested participants are encouraged to submit their applications to present a paper, panel, performance, or poster (digital or printed).

This year's conference will be hosted by the Department of Performing Arts, Faculty of Arts and Design, on the Tshwane University of Technology’s vibrant Arts campus from 8 – 10 July 2026.

The theme of the 2026 conference is Interartistic Afrikan performing arts in the 21st century: De/Post colonial performance, places, pedagogies.

The call for papers may be found both on the AfTA website https://africantheatreassociation.org/, as well as on the FAD showcase website https://www.tutfadshowcase.ac.za/

The call now includes details of the Conference Fee structure, along with an early bird option for registration. In response to requests, the conference committee has reduced the student participation fees:

Applicants are reminded that they will need to additionally pay membership fees to belong to AfTA to participate in the conference (https://africantheatreassociation.org/).

The opening event will take place on the Faculty of Arts and Design campus, with an opening function hosted at the South African State Theatre on 7 July 2026. The conference is convened by Prof Janine Lewis and Prof Owen Seda alongside a dedicated committee of staff from the Department of Performing Arts.

The conference is already offering a global perspective on African performing with applications received from Ethiopia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria and the USA. It promises an exciting array of activities, including keynote speaker, Dr Lwasi Lushuba, and Indaba panels on Performance, Places and Pedagogies with discussants including global practitioners and academics.

Dr Lushaba is a revolutionary intellectual. He holds a Doctorate in Political Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), Johannesburg. Prior to joining WITS, he was educated at the then University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University), where he graduated with an Honours degree in Political Studies.

Thereafter, he studied at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, where he graduated with an MA in Philosophy. His five-year sojourn in Nigeria was followed by two years at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences and Culture, Kolkata, India, where he graduated with an MPhil in Subaltern Studies.

Dr Lushaba has, among other things, written a book titled Development as Modernity, Modernity as Development. He has previously held prestigious visiting fellowships at several universities abroad.

In 2019, he was the Mandela Visiting Scholar at Harvard University in the United States. In 2024, he was a Visiting Professor at Northwestern University, Chicago, linked to the Department of Political Science, as well as the Program of African Studies. He is currently a member of faculty at the University of Cape Town, where he teaches Political Studies.

The conference has already identified two leading forums (a leading journal and a publisher) where some of the conference papers will be considered for publication as peer-reviewed outputs. These partners will be announced in due course.

Read about the conference here: https://tut.ac.za/latest-news/816-afta-2026-conference-at-tut-celebrates-interartistic-afrikan-performance-in-the-21st-century

Don’t miss out, get your applications in now. Apply here: https://forms.gle/AjiQbX1S3EARpHJ79