Her Voice, Her Stage, Her Story is a tribute to leadership and empowerment at TUT Arts Festival

The Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design, in partnership with the South African State Theatre, will close this year’s TUT Arts Festival with The Dean’s Concert: Her Voice, Her Stage, Her Story – a tribute to the visionary leadership of Prof Nalini Moodley, Executive Dean. The concert will spotlight the transformative role of women in the arts through a vibrant celebration of music, dance and acting, and will take place at the South African State Theatre’s Opera Theatre on Saturday, 13 September at 19:00.

From the opening poem, The Woman Who Painted the Wind, the audience are invited into a space where women’s voices carry the power of transformation. We move through the soulful rhythms of Special Star, the timeless beauty of The Wedding and the universal call for unity in Imagine.

The repertoire bridges generations and genres: The sophistication of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, the heartfelt harmonies of I Say a Little Prayer and the vibrant anthems of Caiphus Semenya’s There’s Music in the Air and Dorothy Masuka’s Mfan’ Omcane. Each piece is a chapter, told by the combined artistry of students, alumni and lecturers, united in a common purpose: To reclaim space, voice and identity.

This concert is a celebration of resilience, creativity and empowerment. It is also a statement: That the arts are not merely entertainment, but a force for shaping narratives, lifting communities and honouring the trailblazers who open doors for others to follow.

As we reach our closing number, Brenda Fassie’s Vulindlela, we invite you to join us in song and spirit, celebrating the past, embracing the present and opening the road to the future.

Her Voice, Her Stage, Her Story is the original idea of Dr Rostislava Pashkevitch-Ngobeni, Head of the TUT Department of Performing Arts, who is also directing the production. She is supported by Performing Arts staff Wandile Mgcodo (Lighting Designer), Freddy Malesa (Sound Designer), Motshidisi Manyeneng (Costume Designer), Sidney Agnew (Choreographer) and Thamie Mahlangu (Conductor of The Big Band). 

Tickets are available at R100 per person from Webtickets or at the State Theatre Box Office.