Modisana Mabale

Modisana Mabale is a poet, actor, creative writer who hails from Sharpeville, a township in South Africa.He is an activist and has performed in political rallies and prisons. He believes that art should heal the wounded and it should wound those who violate the rights of the voiceless. He conducted poetry workshops and acted in / directed theatre productions. He started his artistic life at Sharpeville Resource Centre under guidance of Gamakhulu Diniso, and was introduced to Theatre basics by Mpho Molikeng and Nduka Mntambo. He started writing plays and staged his first one man show Zungu the Zulu, in 1998. The love for art developed as theatre was the only language he could speak. In 2005 Modisana formed Power Poetry & Theatre Co, a non-profit organisation in Sharpeville, through Power Poetry & Theatre Co. They organised Poetry Sessions and short plays in the community He studied drama at Tshwane University of Technology and holds a certificate in Performing Arts from Movie Tech Film & Television College. He has written a Spoken Word-Theatre piece Welcome to the Womb produced by Windybrow Theatre, under the mentorship of Kgafela oa Magogodi, Don Mattera, Lefifi Tladi and Lesego Rampolokeng as part of Writers on Stage Festival. Modisana conducted poetry workshops for the Qhakaza Sedibeng Poetry Programme and Adjudicated Poetry Programme For Gauteng Department of Sports, Recreation Arts & Culture’s Ishashalazi Programme in 2013. He worked as a director for Viva Valia, a drama club at Vaal University of Technology (2008) and directed Honey B.E.E.
He participated at the Mvuso Schools Project (Drama for Life initiative), he enjoys reading, performance art, mime and movement techniques and exploring alternative spaces for theatre. He is a volunteer at Cancer Association Of South Africa (CANSA).
His poetry performances include South African Literary Awards (2011), Emfuleni mayoral inauguration (2005) and also represented Gauteng Province at The Macufe Festival in 2011 and he released his poetry album Thokolosi ya Ditoro in 2013. Some of his poems have been featured in Peo Tsa Rona/I Nostri Semi Poetry Anthology (2007), edited and translated by Raphael d'Abdon in Italy 2007.His theatre credits include The Physicist, In Our Blood, The King and I, Shoeville and Pula. He appeared on Debonairs Pizza TV ad in 2011 & 2013
He is currently doing his Honours degree in Applied Drama at Wits University.