Dawn Lindberg Nominated For Two 2016 WRASA Awards

Naledi Theatre Awards Executive Producer, Dawn Lindberg has been nominated for a Women The Real Architects of Society Award (WRASA), an extension of the yearly Women: The Real Architects of Society gala dinner, in the Drama Excellence category and the Icon of the Year category.

Dawn_Lindberg_at_the_2016_Naledi_Theatre_Awards_web

Lindberg, who staged the 12th annual Naledi Theatre Awards in April this year, says these nominations have come as a complete surprise. “My primary focus for the past 12 years has been giving Awards,” she says, “I never expect to be given an Award, so these nominations came completely out of the blue!”

A true stalwart of the industry, Lindberg and her husband Des have been in show business for the last 51 years, which is exactly how long they have been married for. “I have spent my entire adult life in the entertainment and theatre industry,” she says, “so it’s encouraging to be nominated for an Award like this.”

The Women Real Architects of Society Awards 2016 aim to recognise outstanding achievements by women in different fields. Presented by former Miss South Africa, now businesswoman, Joan Ramagoshi Madibeng, the Awards will celebrate notable women for their continued pursuit of excellence.

The Drama Excellence Award, for which Lindberg has been nominated, is presented to a woman that has made a significant contribution to performing arts in drama, such as writing and producing plays; action in verse; mime; formal or popular work; and drama development projects, while the Icon Award will recognise just that; a shining star in our society.

Lindberg believes an Awards ceremony for the matriarchs of South Africa is well warranted. “For generations, women have been pushed into the shadows and I’ve always found the phrase ‘behind every successful man, is a woman’ pretty offensive!

However, since the birth of our exceptionally wise Constitution in 1994, more and more women are moving to centre stage and into the spotlight. In government, business, sport and the arts, women are becoming the ‘movers and the shapers’, the true ‘architects’ of society.

“Women have always been the nurturers, the mothers, but now we do not only perform these roles at home, but in the workplace, in politics, as CEO’s and academics, smashing through glass ceilings fearlessly and with confidence,” she explains.

And these Awards aim to identify these exemplary women. Announcing the opening of the nominations, Ramagoshi Madibeng, said; “In the last twenty years South African women have made strides in the public and private sector, they have been instrumental in building confidence and skill towards economic development.

“This Awards ceremony is a platform that honours and celebrates woman from all walks of life, awarding different women in one event. The aim is to celebrate the outstanding achievements made by women in the world of business, community and leadership in South Africa. We are commemorating 60 years of the women’s march to the union buildings and this year we are dedicating these Awards to the brave women and unsung heroines of yesterday and today.”

As a voice of liberation since 1965, Lindberg’s contributions to society, theatre and music certainly fits the bill. Named together with her husband as ‘Living Legends’ by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and dubbed ‘Stars of Their Community’ by The Star newspaper. Lindberg has also be nominated as a Top Woman Achiever and was a finalist for Mrs South Africa.

The Lindberg’s spearheaded the opening of theatres to all races with their production of Godspell in 1978, and over the past 51 years’ they have made 15 albums and CDs, toured South African and Zimbabwe, reached the top of the charts, produced 10 musicals and 10 plays including The Vagina Monologues, and of course conceived and then produced The Naledi Theatre Awards for the past 12 years.

It’s for all these reasons, and many more that, whether she takes the Awards home or not, Dawn Lindberg is most certainly an Architect of our Society.

The Women Real Architects of Society Awards 2016 will be announced on Saturday, 20 August at the Theatre on the Track in Kyalami, Johannesburg. For more information, visit www.realarchitects.co.za.

Be sure to catch the TV broadcast of the 2016 Naledi Theatre Awards on Sunday 4 September at 14:30 on kykNET, Channel 144 on DStv.

The Naledi Theatre Awards have been in existence for 12 years and are recognised as the Premier Awards event on the Gauteng Theatre Calendar. Its mission is to recognise and reward excellence in the Performing Arts, to raise the profile of Live Theatre and to create awareness of the abundant talent alive and well on our SA stages.

The Naledi Theatre Awards has honoured over 60 Lifetime Achievers: veteran artistes, technicians, and administrators who have dedicated their lives to SA Theatre, and also pays tribute to people in the Arts who have taken their final bows during the year under review.

The Naledi Theatre Awards covers all mainstream professional productions from the period 1 January – 1 December of the previous year and the Naledi judges typically evaluate over 70 productions in approximately 27 categories. The Naledi panel of judges consists of informed and regular theatre-goers, academics and members of the media covering the arts in Johannesburg.

Women: The Real Architects of Society Awards (WRASA) exist to recognize accomplishment of South African Women by celebrating those individuals who have excelled in the past year. The event which has been honouring women since 2011, is intricately woven into the spirit of African women and combines dialogue, networking, music, fashion and arts.

For more information, visit www.naleditheatreawards.org.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter using the hashtag #NalediAwards.

 

Issued by The Famous Idea
Published in
Categorised as Awards

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb