Image by Mark Wessels

Baxter Theatre CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot has been named Featured Artist of the 2016 National Arts Festival, which takes place from 30 June to 10 July. Foot is an award-winning South African playwright, theatre director and producer. A doyenne of the theatre industry, her many accomplishments include being a Rolex protégé to Sir Peter Hall in the prestigious Rolex Mentor and Protégé programme, a Sundance Fellow and recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Theatre (1996). As the 2016 Featured Artist, she will stage three productions at the festival: The Inconvenience of Wings and a restaging of two of her previous works Karoo Moose and Tshepang. 

Foot has directed more than 50 productions over the course of a 20-year professional career. Her extensive body of work focuses on complex social issues affecting South Africa, earning her critical acclaim both locally and internationally. Her latest play The Inconvenience of Wings tackles bi-polar disorder, addiction, dysfunction, friendship and angels. Karoo Moose returns to the stage, after nearly a decade since its premiere and 15 top South African awards later, with the original cast reprising their roles. The bi-lingual production (English and Xhosa) is set in a remote village in the Karoo, where the inhabitants are struggling to survive. Both productions will return to the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio after the festival. The Inconvenience of Wings from 12 July to 13 August and Karoo Moose from 31 August to 24 September 2016. Foot’s award-winning Tshepang was inspired by the shocking child rape case that took place in South Africa in 2001 (the baby Tshepang case).  Since it was first performed in 2003, this production has become an international success, moving audiences in New York, London, Brisbane, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Germany and Switzerland. It has been translated into isiZulu, Afrikaans and Croatian, published in English and isiZulu and performed in prisons and rural settlements throughout South Africa. Foot wrote and directed the play.

This year, the National Arts Festival shines a bright light on South African women in theatre and creative spaces both emerging and established talent. 80% of this year’s main festival programme will feature works that have been written, directed, curated and headlined by women. Well-known names include: Thembi Mtshali-Jones, Janni Younge, Jane Taylor, Ester Natzijl, Fiona Ramsay and musician Siya Makuzeni to name a few. According to National Arts Festival artistic director, Ismail Mahomed, the decision to select Foot as this year’s Featured Artist was based on her extensive contribution to theatre in South Africa and beyond as well as her stature as a leader in her field. “She is one of South Africa’s most prolific theatre-makers. Her prowess as a formidable arts manager under a challenging funding climate is most admirable. Under her wing the Baxter Theatre Centre continues to be one of South Africa’s leading theatres. Her commitment and passion for strategically devised development initiatives has also created opportunities for many emerging artists to be catapulted into the mainstream. Presenting her as the 2016 Featured Artist honours both her achievements and her contribution to the sector over the past 20 years,” said Ismail.

Lara completed her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1989 and in 2007 obtained her Master’s degree at the University of Cape Town. In 2005 she became the Resident Director and Dramaturge at the Baxter Theatre Centre - a post which she held until 2007. In January 2010 she became the first female to be appointed CEO and Artistic Director of the Baxter Theatre. Most recently, her production of Fishers of Hope scooped four awards at the Naledi Theatre Awards in Johannesburg, including the coveted ‘Best Production of a Play’ accolade.