Community Theater Stokvel Initiative

The Victory Sonqoba Theatre Company (VSTC), originally set up by a group of victims and perpetrators of violence as a living example of racial tolerance in the post-apartheid era, is seeking new ways to invigorate local communities and incite awareness of critical issues such as HIV/AIDS, women rights, and sexual abuse through the arts. It has launched the Community Theater Stokvel Initiative to promote financial independence for community theater groups. The VSTC develops its Community Theater Stokvel Initiative as a membership organization. It generates resources, spreads the message of the art effectively, and engages the community in its activities. It raises much of its funding through membership fees and members’ commitment to sell a number of tickets for each performance. Partnerships with local radio stations have helped to increase the Stokvel’s visibility and further enhance its media coverage. Cooperation with tour operators is leading to more tourists attending Stokvel’s performances. Meanwhile, the Stokvel has accelerated its efforts to tap into a variety of resources to mobilize support at the regional level. For example, the theater entered into a partnership with a Province’s Department of Arts and Culture and since then it has assumed the responsibility of fostering sustainable development for community theaters in the region. Because of its popularity with multiple audiences, the Stokvel Initiative has become an appealing option for corporations and donors to advertise through theater performances and the Stokvel strategy demonstrates how a community’s active involvement can reinforce an organization’s capacity to mobilize funding and bring new partners on board.

The post-apartheid era has witnessed a shift in international donor support away from South Africa, which has affected the survival of community theatre troupes, such as the Victory Songoba Theatre Company, who were responsible for catalyzing the dialogue necessary for healing and constructive social change in the country. The Victory Songoba Company recently launched the Community Theatre Stokvel Initiative to promote financial independence for community theatre groups and build a stable audience for the art, among other objectives.

Most importantly, the Stokvel is establishing itself as a membership organization. This will generate much of the income required to sustain the organization, through joining fees, compulsory monthly fees, and requiring members to sell a quota of tickets for every performance. Partnerships with local radio stations have helped to increase media coverage of their events, as well as with tour operators that encourage tourists to buy tickets for performances. The Stokvel is well on the way to solidifying its own self-reliance, and is envisioning the development of a sustainable network of community groups.