Open letter to Zakes Mda
From The Market Theatre Laboratory: Firstly let us congratulate you on your recent achievement of winning the Johnnie Walker Celebrating Strides Award.
It has been particular joy for us since we have always thought highly of you, firstly as a writer but also a philanthropist of note. Over the years you have shown your generosity by donating your time to our institution, the Market Theatre Foundation, but it is for your work at the Laboratory that I admire you most.
Your play that you donated to the Laboratory, Broken Dreams, was seen by over one million children over five provinces and this proved to us that with dedication and commitment we can make a huge difference in the lives of ordinary South Africans. It inspired many children to talk openly about the cycle of abuse that has been a cancer to our society, especially since the demise of apartheid.
It was therefore a pleasant surprise that upon winning the Johnnie Walker Award you donated part of your prize to the Laboratory. On behalf of the Market Theatre Laboratory and the entire community- based arts programme we are most humbled by your gesture and are thankful to you and your family for continuously seeing value in our institution.
Your donation has helped us establish a writing programme which will recognise community-based emerging writers and will be aptly named “The Zakes Mda Emerging Writers Fund”. We hope we can continue raising funds to supplement your donation. As the Lab, we believe we should begin celebrating our home-grown programme that aims to celebrate local artistic talent and pay respect to a name as precious as yours in this era of pop culture and Mxit.
We send our heartfelt congratulations and wish you the best of luck for all your future endeavours.
The Market Theatre Laboratory
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