The Naledi Theatre Awards are facing the dilemma that is so common during this COVID-19 lockdown crisis.
Do we plan a live event for after lockdown has been lifted or do follow the current trend and hold an online award ceremony?
There were heated yet very constructive debates via Zoom with the Board to try and find a solution. The benefits for going online are compelling. It would mean we would be able to hold the awards within the next month or so.
However, the general consensus is that the very nature of theatre is interactive and dynamic. The Board feels that our first prize would be to hold a live event later on the year. “Our Industry has been through a very tough year with shows being cancelled or postponed and the social distancing has left our community starved for interaction with each other,” says Dawn Lindberg, CEO of the Naledis. “By holding a live awards event, we will be able to celebrate and commune with each other after the long-enforced absence.”
“We have drawn a line in the sand,” says Kgomotoso Christopher, the Naledi Chairperson. “By the middle of July we will make a decision as to whether or not we will go live or hold the awards online.”
Going live is dependent on the level of lockdown and, of course, what is happening to the country regarding Covid-19. Ideally, we hope to hold the live event in August or latest in September depending on the opening of theatres.
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