South Africa: Furthering youth leadership through arts and education
Helping create a new generation of leaders is critical to the ongoing rebuilding of South Africa. Unilever is working imaginatively with local arts groups and schools to make that happen.
Fulfilling potential through the arts
It all starts with an audition. Every year, dozens of aspiring young performers in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province queue up nervously to take part in Unilever's Young Performers Project. If selected, professional coaches take their passion to perform and shape it into true acting talent. Within weeks, they look like stage veterans.
Giving people the opportunity to achieve their best and bring vitality to their lives is what Unilever and our brands are all about. This project encapsulates that vision. It gives bright, talented teenagers from across the Durban area the chance to learn the rudiments of live theatre. These up-coming stars then showcase what they've learned in a high profile show at Durban's prestigious Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.
The project, which is funded by the Unilever South Africa Foundation, goes one step further in its commitment to help young people realise their potential. We take the profits from the ticket sales and invest them in initiatives that help further youth leadership through the arts.
Empowering young people
Ekhaya Performing Arts Empowerment Project is one such initiative. The project features young ex-prisoners who use drama as a medium to educate other young people about the dangers of crime. Project co-ordinator Edmond Mhlongo took the young offenders' stories and turned them into a ninety-minute production, which aired at the Durban Playhouse in 2006. "We had a surprise visit from the Mayor of Leeds in England, who was so impressed that he has invited us to Leeds to perform there. I can't tell you how exciting this is for the cast", he adds.
