Sara Matchett is the Director of the Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies (CTDPS) at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The CTDPS focuses on teaching Dance and Theatre performance as forms of critical inquiry, creative expression, pedagogy and public engagement. It views performance as a public platform for contemporary ideas, allowing us to examine and question the fundamental concerns of our times in a space that is at once critical, emotional, and collaborative. As a public institution, CTDPS places diversity and inclusion at the heart of its teaching, performance-making and public programming. In 2020 we were abruptly woken up to change, adapt and re-imagine our lives and place in the world. The need for responsiveness, compassion and relationality is evident. We are being called, more than ever, to build reciprocity and respect between all living beings. These are all qualities that inform the essence of what we do in theatre, dance and performance.
