ACT Announces Four Winners At The ACT | DALRO | Nedbank 2017 Scholarships

On Saturday evening twelve future stars performed their hearts out on the legendary John Kani stage of the Market Theatre.

Wonder Ndlovu, Hlumelo Yawa, Mampho Letsie, Sithembele Dotwana ACT Awards Suzy Bernstein

The talented finalists from around the country travelled to Joburg in the hope of winning a scholarship to pursue their dreams. Having spent the week working with specialist coaches, and fuelled by passion for their art, the students gave a fantastic performance. ACT CEO, Marcus Desando responded to the first event under his leadership saying “It was heart-warming to see the kind of young talent we have in this country. I would like to congratulate the winners and thank the sponsors for a great evening. We wish all the finalists the best in their future endeavours.

This is the first year scholarships were awarded in four categories, acting, singing, dance and musical theatre. The twelve finalists, three in each category, had the chance to show off their talent in front of a live audience and impress a panel of tough judges.

Wonder Ndlovu (Acting), Mampho Letsie (Singing), Sithembele Dotwana (Dance) and Hlumelo Yawa (Musical Theatre) walked away with the prizes.

The judges this year include South African stars Gina Schmukler and Ilsa Klink, dancer and teacher Sunnyboy Matau, ACT trustee Maureen Lahoud, Head of SAMRO Foundation Andre Le Roux and owner of Canvas C.A.M, Anna Hlalele.

Each winner will receive R50 000 to study their performing arts subject at any tertiary institution in South Africa, as well as the chance to be represented by Canvas C.A.M. Talent Agency.

Tobie Badenhorst, Head of Sponsorships and Cause Marketing at Nedbank is excited to once again be part of giving young artists the chance to pursue their dreams. Nedbank’s brand essence is money experts who do good and this has everything to do with why we fund the Arts and Culture Trust and these incredibly important performing arts scholarships. he said.

“DALRO is proud of its partnership with the Arts & Culture Trust and that we are able to contribute to the training of young talent in South Africa.” said Elroy Bell, Theatricals & General Licensing Supervisor at DALRO. ”We must all do what we can in the goal of attaining free education for all. It is through investing in talented young students that we continue to grow the rich canon of work we showcase as a nation. As DALRO celebrates its 50th Jubilee, we consider it our duty and privilege to contribute to the education of the artists of tomorrow.”

The event was MC’d by 2014 winner Usisipho Nteyi, who is in her third year of musical theatre at TUT.

What a privilege for these young performers to start their journey on the stage that has seen so many South African legends. Ismail Mahomed of the Market Theatre says “The ACT Scholarship Awards is a dynamic investment. It ensures that tomorrow’s stars can accelerate their careers by building it on the foundations of a quality education”.

For more information, please visit www.act.org.za/programmes/scholarships

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