With excerpts from his theatre production, Cantos of a Life in Exile, this talk revealed the transformative power of personal storytelling; bearing witness to performance auto-ethnography as a tool of self-liberation, empowering individuals to rewrite their narratives, reclaim agency and how it serves as a compelling lens to reflect upon the complex intricacies of South African society. The personal enmeshed with broader national narratives, could serve to unearth new perspectives, and challenge conventional viewpoints.
About Makhaola Ndebele
A versatile professional with over 25 years of acting experience in theatre, television, and film, Makhaola Ndebele is an actor, theatre director, and creative consultant. His dramatist work delves into the personal politics of identity and liberation within a South African context. Currently Makhaola is a research associate at the University of Johannesburg. His work explores Performance Auto-ethnography as a method for liberatory agency.
