The New Africa Theatre Association (NATA), founded in 1987 by Mavis Taylor the head of University of Cape Town Drama Department and professional theatre director, with the intent to create a space with means formally or informally for relevant South African themed theatre, which defied apartheid laws. It was initially housed in Observatory, Cape Town.
In 1988 out of the need for more educators in drama within the community The New African Theatre Project (NATP) was co-founded Taylor, and colleagues.
The project recruited dancers, musicians and actors to help facilitate full and part-time courses to for adolescent and adult students. They were also a part of a committee, which strategized and addressed needs and forms of performance education. Another key objective was to also offer training to ‘theatre practitioners to become coordinators, facilitators and organisers of their own cultural activities, productions and resources in a participatory society.’
The New Africa Theatre Project offered twelve three-year scholarships.
