Wamkelekile, Welkom
Rise ’76: Reimagining June 16
21 May 2026 | Video Production Boikhutso Ntsoko and Nomfundo Xolo. Photo Boikhutso Ntsoko.The year 2026 marks 50 years since the 1976 Youth Uprisings, a defining moment in South African history that continues to shape conversations around youth resistance, education and memory. Commissioned by the Market Theatre and the Baxter Theatre, Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th is a new theatre production written and directed by University of Cape Town (UCT) graduate and two-time Fleur du Cap award-winning playwright Tiisetso Mashifane wa Noni.
Set in the fictional Molefe Secondary School in Soweto, the play begins with what appears to be an ordinary school day before unfolding into one of the most significant political uprisings in South African history. Through students, teachers and families, the production reflects on how June 16 was not only shaped by political leaders or activists, but by ordinary young people responding to the realities imposed on their everyday lives.
Drawing on testimonies from more than 40 individuals, alongside archival material, literature and public record, the production explores the emotional and social textures of apartheid-era South Africa. It also reflects on how apartheid itself was sustained through ordinary systems, institutions and people, foregrounding the complex ways violence and resistance become embedded within daily life.
Rise ’76: The Story of June 16th runs at the Baxter Theatre Studio from 8 to 30 May 2026 before transferring to the Market Theatre’s Mannie Manim Theatre in Johannesburg from 5 to 28 June 2026.
#Rise76 #June16 #YouthMonth #UCT #BaxterTheatre #MarketTheatre #SouthAfricanTheatre #CommemoratingJune16
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